so lala
The English phrase so-so can be translated into German as so lala.
The phrase so lala is a colloquial adverbial phrase used to describe how something is going or how one is feeling. Other ways to convey this sentiment include the informal phrase Geht so or the informal expression Na ja, which corresponds to the English 'Well…' and conveys that something is just okay or so-so.
Meaning: neither good nor bad (adj)
Is it said differently in some regions?
The phrase Geht so is an informal phrase used throughout Germany.
When do people say it?
When someone asks Wie geht es dir? (How are you?), responding with So lala indicates that you are feeling mediocre or unimpressed.
Did you know?
- In many German regions, a hand gesture that mimics a small, uneven wave in the air is often used alongside so lala to visually represent the 'middle' or 'mediocre' status.
- The phrase so lala is often perceived as child-like or old-fashioned by native speakers, making it less common in modern youth slang than geht so.
- The word so in so lala is a cognate of the English word 'so', originating from the Proto-Germanic root *swa.
Examples in context
- Wie geht es Ihnen? Es geht so.How are you? So-so.
- Wie finden Sie das Essen hier? Nicht schlecht, aber auch nicht gut.What do you think of the food here? Not bad, but not good either.
- Wie findest du den Film? Na ja, geht so.What do you think of the movie? Well, it's so-so.
- Wie war das Konzert? Es war mittelmäßig.How was the concert? It was mediocre.
- Das Essen war so lala.The food was so-so.
- Wie war der Film? So lala.How was the movie? So-so.
- Meine Deutschkenntnisse sind so lala.My German skills are so-so.
Example conversation
Maximilian and Julia are talking about a recent concert.
- MaximilianWie fandest du das Konzert?How did you find the concert?
- JuliaEs war so lala.It was so-so.
- MaximilianWarum das? War die Musik schlecht?Why is that? Was the music bad?
- JuliaNein, sie war nur so lala.No, it was just so-so.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry so lala, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries so, CC BY-SA 4.0.
