Meaning of 所
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- actually
- place
- classifier for houses, small buildings, institutions etc
- that which
- particle introducing a relative clause or passive
Measure word: 個|个
How to use 所
所 shows up most often inside common words like 所以 (suǒyǐ, therefore), 所有 (suǒyǒu, all) and 厕所 (cèsuǒ, toilet). It is also a classifier for buildings and institutions, and in formal writing it goes before a verb to mean "that which". Example: 这是一所大学。(Zhè shì yì suǒ dàxué.) This is a university.
Picture 所 (suǒ) as a door on the left with an axe on the right. A door plus a tool marks a place where people live and work, which is the core meaning of 所: a place.
Common mistake: Learners often write the left part of 所 like 户 with a dot on top, but in standard simplified 所 the top stroke is a short horizontal or slanting stroke, not a dot. Also, 所以 marks a result, so do not put it before the cause. Say 因为下雨，所以我没去 (Yīnwèi xià yǔ, suǒyǐ wǒ méi qù), not the reverse.
所 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
所 suǒ · actually · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 所.
| 所以 | suǒyǐ | therefore; as a result |
| 所有 | suǒyǒu | all; to have; to possess; to own |
| 场所 | chǎngsuǒ | location; place |
| 所长 | suǒzhǎng | what one is good at; one's strong point |
| 无所谓 | wúsuǒwèi | to be indifferent; not to matter |
| 所在 | suǒzài | place; location |
| 研究所 | yánjiūsuǒ | research institute; graduate studies |
| 厕所 | cèsuǒ | toilet; lavatory |
| 所谓 | suǒwèi | what is meant by the expression ...; what is referred to as ...; (derog.) so-called |
| 有所 | yǒusuǒ | somewhat; to some extent |
| 之所以 | zhīsuǒyǐ | (after a noun N and before a predicate P) the reason why N P; Example: 我之所以討厭他|我之所以讨厌他[wo3 |
| 一无所知 | yīwúsuǒzhī | (idiom) not knowing anything at all; completely ignorant |
Questions about 所
What does 所 mean?
所 (suǒ) means "actually; place" and is used as a noun, measure word and auxiliary verb.
How do you write 所?
所 is made of 1 character: 所 (8 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.
Is 所 an HSK word?
Yes. 所 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 所 mean in phrases like 我所知道的?
Here 所 goes before a verb and turns it into "what" or "that which". 我所知道的 (wǒ suǒ zhīdào de) means "what I know". This pattern is more formal, and in speech people often just say 我知道的.
How is 所 used in passive sentences?
In the pattern 为…所 + verb, 所 helps mark a passive meaning. For example, 为人所知 (wéi rén suǒ zhī) means "known by people". This is mostly found in written or formal Chinese.