The closest equivalent in English is scare quotes. Works in spoken contexts too, just do finger quotes and change intonation a bit. You can use quotes neutrall

The closest equivalent in English is scare quotes. Works in spoken contexts too, just do finger quotes and change intonation a bit. You can use quotes neutrally: John says "the nuclear waste is totally safe". Or you can use them to cast subtle shade: John says the nuclear waste is "totally safe".