すなわち (sunawachi)
すなわち — “namely / that is to say”
Pattern
-
名詞A、すなわち 名詞BA, namely B (B is another name or definition of A) -
文。すなわち、文Sentence. That is, sentence (restates the previous sentence)
Meaning and connection
すなわち places two items on an equal footing: the second one is the same thing as the first, said more concretely or in another way. 日本の首都、すなわち東京. It is placed between two nouns with a comma, or at the start of a sentence.
When to use it
It is typical of essays, news and explanations, where you define a term or give a precise number or name. In everyday conversation, つまり is much more common.
Difference from つまり
つまり can also draw a conclusion (“so, in short…”). すなわち is closer to a strict equation: A and B really are the same thing, such as 零度 and 氷点.
Examples
-
日本（にほん）の首都（しゅと）、すなわち東京（とうきょう）はとても大（おお）きい。
Nihon no shuto, sunawachi Tōkyō wa totemo ōkii.
Japan's capital, namely Tokyo, is very big.
Tokyo is the concrete name of the capital.
-
この学校（がっこう）で一番（いちばん）長（なが）い人（ひと）、すなわち校長（こうちょう）が話（はな）した。
Kono gakkō de ichiban nagai hito, sunawachi kōchō ga hanashita.
The person who has been at this school the longest, namely the principal, spoke.
-
水（みず）は零度（れいど）、すなわち氷点（ひょうてん）で凍（こお）り始（はじ）める。
Mizu wa reido, sunawachi hyōten de kōri hajimeru.
Water begins to freeze at zero degrees, that is, at the freezing point.
Both words name the same temperature.
Common mistakes
- Use it only when B really equals A. For a conclusion or summary, use つまり instead.
- It sounds stiff. In casual talk, say つまり or 要するに.
More grammar points
- ばよかった ～ばよかった — I should have ～, if only I had ～
- ばかりで ～ばかりで — only ～ (and nothing else, with a negative feeling)
- ばかりでなく ～ばかりでなく — not only ～ but also ～
- だけでなく ～だけでなく — not only ～ but also ～
- だけど だけど — but, however (casual)
- ふりをする ～ふりをする — pretending to ～
- 一方（いっぽう）だ ～一方だ — keeps ～ing in one direction
- 一体（いったい） 一体 — what on earth ～ (emphasizing a question)
- じゃない ～じゃない — isn't it ～! (surprise or confirmation)
- か何（なに）か ～か何か — ～ or something
- 代（か）わりに ～代わりに — instead of ～, in return for ～
- 結局（けっきょく） 結局 — in the end, after all
- きり ～きり — only ～; ever since ～
- っけ ～っけ — was it ～? (recalling)
- ことになっている ～ことになっている — it is the rule or plan that ～
- ことは～が ～ことは～が — it is true that ～, but ～
- くせに ～くせに — even though ～ (with reproach)
- も～ば～も A も ～ば B も ～ — both A and B
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