At a glance
つまり means "in other words" or "that is to say". It restates or sums up what was just said, in a shorter or clearer way.
[Statement A]。つまり、[Statement B]。
[Noun A]、つまり[Noun B]
彼は父の弟の息子です。つまり、私のいとこです。 He's my father's younger brother's son. In other words, he's my cousin.
How to form it
つまり is a connector. It does not conjugate.
| Position | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Start of a sentence, after a statement | A。つまり、B。 | 週末は休みです。つまり、土曜日と日曜日は休みです。 |
| Between two nouns | A、つまりB | 父の妹、つまり叔母 |
| With ということ | つまり、～ということです | つまり、明日は休みということです。 |
Register: neutral. It is used in speech and writing, in polite and casual Japanese.