Russian

Conjunction

сло́вно • ‎(slóvno)

1. like, as if

   Деревья крепкие, сло́вно саманы затвердели под горячей солнцем.‎

   Derevʹja krepkije, slóvno samany zatverdeli pod gorjačej solncem.

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

2. as it were

   Небо бы́ло бело, сло́вно в пурге.‎

   Nebo býlo belo, slóvno v purge.

   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)

   Мне сло́вно я ви́дел единорога, кото́рый лета́л на не́бе.‎

   Mne slóvno ja vídel jedinoroga, kotóryj letál na nébe.

   It looks like to me that I'm seeing a unicorn that is 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, the finite verb in either of the usages must have a finite verb that is a 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)