Phrase · B2 · Informal · mainly speech; kind of is especially common in US English
kind of / sort of
Used as softeners to make a description or statement less direct, strong, or exact.
nekako; pomalo; donekle — za ublažavanje izjave
Memory scene
Turn the verbal volume down: ‘That is awkward’ becomes ‘That is kind of awkward.’ The message remains, but its edges soften.
How it sounds
KYND uhv / SORT uhv
Keep of light; the following meaningful word often carries the main sentence stress.
Build the sentence
be + kind of/sort of + adjective · kind of/sort of + verb phrase
Use it
I’m kind of worried that we’re promising too much.
Softens an admission of worry; it does not measure an exact amount.
I sort of expected a quieter place.
Softens a potentially critical statement and comes before the main verb.
Watch out
Here kind of and sort of are softeners, not ‘a type of’ as in a kind of bird. Do not add a before the softener in It is kind of strange. Kinda and sorta represent casual speech; use kind of and sort of in normal writing. Avoid vague softeners when an exact commitment is needed.
Nearby language
A more formal degree word, especially before adjectives, without all the conversational uses.
Often softens an adjective but may describe a small degree more directly.
Can classify something as a type, rather than soften the speaker’s stance.
Make it yours
Prijatelj je izabrao restoran koji vam deluje previše bučno, ali ne želite da zvučite grubo.