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I learned from a dictionary that the phrase in der Tat means indeed.

Can I use this phrase as a positive response to a statement?

A: Heute ist es so kalt!

B: In der Tat!

Or can I only use it to modify a sentence?

In der Tat stimmt, was du gesagt hast.

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Mika H.
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    I would like to inform you that, while both sentences are correct, nobody uses in der tat unless in old books (and one particularly annoying TV commercial). So, should you use it, people might think you are joking. – Burki Nov 23 '15 at 08:35

1 Answers1

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You can use it in both instances. The second one sounds a bit awkward, however. I’d suggest a small modification:

In der Tat, es stimmt was du gesagt hast.

or

In der Tat, was du gesagt hast stimmt.

or (suggested by Toscho):

Es stimmt in der Tat, was du gesagt hast.

And indeed does indeed mean in der Tat, quite literally even, since deed and Tat are cognates.

Jan
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0xC0000022L
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    In both cases, in der Tat is prepositioned to the sentence. This reflects the English usage very well, but I'd call it bad style at least in written German. In written German, I'd say: Es stimmt in der Tat, was du gesagt hast. – Toscho Sep 24 '13 at 19:29
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    There is nothing at all wrong with „In der Tat stimmt, was du gesagt hast.“ Another example: „In der Tat regnet es.“ Note the word order! Similarly „In der Tat stimmt das, was Du gesagt hast.“, and the „das“ can be omitted. – Carsten S Sep 24 '13 at 19:46
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    So it is correct to say both In der Tat regnet es. and In der Tat, es regnet., right? – Mika H. Sep 24 '13 at 23:00
  • @MikaH.: yes. Indeed it is ;) – 0xC0000022L Sep 24 '13 at 23:01
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    @MikaH. And so is "Es regnet in der Tat" and it works the same if you replace "In der Tat" with, e.g., "tatsächlich". -> "Tatsächlich regnet es." - "Tatsächlich, es regnet" - "Es regnet tatsächlich". – Em1 Sep 25 '13 at 07:33