словно

Russian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈsɫovnə]

• Audio:

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Conjunction

сло́вно • (slóvno)

1. like, as if

   Дере́вья кре́пкие, сло́вно сама́ны, затверде́вшие под горя́чим со́лнцем.

   Derévʹja krépkije, slóvno samány, zatverdévšije pod gorjáčim sólncem.

   The trees are sturdy, like adobe bricks hardened under the hot sun.

2. as it were

   Не́бо бы́ло бело́/бе́ло, сло́вно в пурге́.

   Nébo býlo beló/bélo, slóvno v purgé.

   The sky was white, as it were in a snowstorm.

Particle

сло́вно • (slóvno)

1. it seems (that), it looks like (for expressing conditional, imaginary, or apparent things or action)

   Я сло́вно ви́дел единоро́га, кото́рый лета́л на не́бе.

   Ja slóvno vídel jedinoróga, kotóryj letál na nébe.

   It looked like to me that I was seeing a unicorn that was flying in the sky.

Usage notes

• The meaning of бы (by) is already implied. Hence сло́вно бы (slóvno by) is the same as словно.
• Due to the invisible бы (by) in the conjunction and particle словно, any finite verb governed by either of these usages must be in the past tense.

Synonyms

• (as if, as it were) бу́дто (búdto), как (kak), как бу́дто (kak búdto), то́чно (tóčno)
• (it seems (that)) ка́жется (kážetsja), кажи́сь (kažísʹ), ника́к (nikák)

Related terms

• сло́во n (slóvo)