5 · Written Chinese
Suǒ before a verb, and the passive wéi … suǒ
the classical marker of the object
Suǒ before a verb points at the thing that is done; wéi … suǒ … is the passive of written prose.
所 + verb means “that which is …-ed”: it points at the object of the verb. In modern writing it appears inside a clause before a noun: subject + 所 + verb + 的 + noun. 他所说的话 is “the words he said”, and 我所知道的 is “what I know”. The noun can be left out, as with any 的 phrase.
所 adds nothing to the meaning: 他说的话 says exactly the same. What it adds is weight and a written tone, which is why it turns up in speeches, essays and careful explanations, and hardly ever in conversation.
With 为 it forms the written passive: 为 + the agent + 所 + verb. 为人所知, known to people; 为大家所熟悉, familiar to everyone. 为 is second tone here, as in 以…为…, and the spoken equivalent is a 被 sentence or no passive at all.
所 also lives in common words: 所有, all (“what one has”); 所以, therefore; 所谓, so-called; and 有所 + verb, “to some extent”: 有所提高, has improved somewhat. The mistake to avoid is using 所 for the subject of the verb: 我所认识的人 is “the people I know”, never “the people who know me”.
The form
| what somebody does | 我所知道的 |
| before a noun | 他所说的话 |
| to some extent | 有所提高 |
| the written passive | 为人所知 |
| the spoken counterpart | 大家都知道 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
Suǒ stands between the subject and the verb of a clause before a noun: subject, suǒ, verb, de, noun.
这就是我所了解的情况。That is the situation, as far as I know it.
Without suǒ the sentence means the same; suǒ only adds weight and a written tone.
我们应该珍惜自己所拥有的一切。We should treasure everything we have.
Suǒ always points to the object of the verb, never to its subject.
她所写的书很受欢迎。The books she writes are very popular.
Wéi, the agent, suǒ and the verb form the written passive.
这位作家的名字为很多读者所熟悉。This writer’s name is familiar to many readers.
A closer look
Suǒ in words you already know
所 originally meant “place”, and from there “that which, the thing that”. Both meanings are still visible in everyday words. The place: 厕所, toilet; 场所, venue; 派出所, local police station. The “that which”: 所有, what one has, hence “all”; 所谓, what is called.
所以 belongs here too. Literally it is “that by which”, and its old use survives in 之所以…是因为…, “the reason why … is that …” — the most common place where a modern reader still meets the classical 所 at work.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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suǒ follows a number
it is a measure word for buildings and institutions: 一所学校, 两所医院.
我们家附近有一所大学。There is a university near our home.
This is the old meaning “place”, which also lives on in 厕所 and 派出所.
How to spot it
- 所
- 所…的
- 为…所…
- 有所
Example sentences
他所做的一切都是为了家人。Everything he does is for his family.
正如老师所说，细节决定成败。As the teacher said, the details decide success or failure.
这次考试的成绩比上次有所提高。The results in this exam have improved somewhat on last time.
这个小村子很少为外人所知。This little village is hardly known to outsiders.
这并不是我所希望的结果。This is not at all the result I hoped for.
对这座城市的历史，我一无所知。I know nothing at all about this city’s history.
8 more example sentences
我所知道的就这么多。That is all I know.
大家所关心的问题是房价。The issue everyone is concerned about is house prices.
这种做法已经为大多数人所接受。This approach has come to be accepted by most people.
经过治疗，他的病情有所好转。After treatment, his condition has improved somewhat.
他的新小说跟我所想的完全不同。His new novel is completely different from what I imagined.
这首歌早已为人们所熟悉。This song has long been familiar to people.
我们要尽自己所能帮助别人。We should help others as much as we can.
对于孩子们所提的问题，他都耐心回答。He answers every question the children ask patiently.
Worth knowing (1)
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So-called: suǒwèi
所谓 can be neutral — “what is called”, introducing a term — or sceptical, with the word in quotation marks, exactly like English “so-called”. The quotation marks are what tip the reader off.
这位所谓的“专家”其实什么都不懂。This so-called expert actually knows nothing.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
所 marks the object: X 所 verb 的 noun is “the noun that X verbs”. In “the people who know me” the people are the subject of “know”, so 所 has no place: 认识我的人.
Suǒ goes before the verb and points at its object; wéi … suǒ is the passive of written prose.
Your turn
8 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.