mässig
Translation
moderate, mediocre, so-so
Examples
Er trinkt nur mässigen Alkohol.
He only drinks moderate amounts of alcohol.
Die Qualität war nur mässig.
The quality was only mediocre.
Wie geht's? - Mässig.
How are you? - So-so.
Grammar Patterns
((as adjective)) moderate Moderate wine consumption is healthy.
((as adverb)) moderately He only eats moderately.
((as an answer)) so-so How was the movie? - So-so.
Similar Words
Synonyms: mediocre, average; Antonyms: excellent, extreme, excessive
Etymology
Comes from 'das Maß' (measure, degree). The '-ig' suffix creates an adjective, suggesting 'of a certain measure', which leads to the meaning 'moderate'.
Memory Tips
Connect 'mässig' to 'measure'. It describes something that is measured and not extreme—just moderate or so-so.