Nominalizer 所 and formal passive 为…所
C1 「所」字结构与「为…所」被动 56 / 56
In short
In formal Chinese, 所 (suǒ) slips in front of a transitive verb to nominalize it - to turn “V” into “that which is V-ed”: 我所知道的 (wǒ suǒ zhīdào de, “what I know”). It is optional decoration on top of a plain 的 relative clause and just raises the register. The same 所 builds the literary passive 为…所 (wéi … suǒ …): 为人所知 (wéi rén suǒ zhī, “to be known by all”).
The rule
This lesson covers two related bookish structures built on the little word 所 (suǒ). Both belong to written and formal Chinese; in everyday speech you would use a plain 的 clause (Relative clauses and nominalization with 的) or a plain 被 passive (被 passive construction).
A. The 所 nominalizer
Step 1 - Slot 所 between the subject and a transitive verb. The frame is:
(Subject) + 所 + Verb
Here 所 points forward to the verb’s object and flags it as the thing being talked about. It only works with transitive verbs - ones that take an object (知道 know, 需要 need, 说 say). Intransitive verbs like 来 (lái, come) or 睡 (shuì, sleep) reject it.
Step 2 - Close the phrase with 的 to make a noun. A bare 所 + Verb is not yet a noun phrase; you finish it with 的:
(Subject) + 所 + Verb + 的 (+ head Noun)
我所需要的东西 (wǒ suǒ xūyào de dōngxi) = “the things I need”; drop the head noun and 我所需要的 alone means “what I need”. Compare the plain clause 我需要的东西 (lesson 32): identical meaning - 所 only adds formal weight. You can always delete it. The subject really is optional, as the brackets say: when the agent is obvious or irrelevant, start the phrase at 所 - 所要求的材料 (suǒ yāoqiú de cáiliào, the materials required), 公告上所公布的时间 (gōnggào shàng suǒ gōngbù de shíjiān, the times announced in the notice). A place or a document standing in front of such a phrase is a locative modifier, never the subject.
Step 3 - Keep the verb bare. The nominalized verb normally carries no aspect particle: no 了 / 过 / 着. Write 我所看的电影 (wǒ suǒ kàn de diànyǐng, “the film I watched”), not 我所看了的电影.
A handful of frozen four-character idioms use 所 + Verb with no 的 at all: 所见所闻 (suǒ jiàn suǒ wén, “what one sees and hears”), 前所未有 (qián suǒ wèi yǒu, “unprecedented”), 无所不能 (wú suǒ bù néng, “omnipotent”). Learn these as chunks.
B. The formal passive 为…所
所 also builds a literary passive. The frame is:
Patient + 为 + Agent + 所 + Verb
这位科学家为世人所敬仰 (zhè wèi kēxuéjiā wéi shìrén suǒ jìngyǎng) = “this scientist is revered by the whole world”. Two things to watch:
- 为 here is read wéi (2nd tone), meaning “by” - not the wèi (4th tone) “for the sake of” of purpose clauses (Purpose clauses).
- The agent sits between 为 and 所; 所 stands immediately before the verb. The agent is usually stated (often a general 人 rén, “people”).
A slightly less literary variant swaps 为 for 被: 被…所 (bèi … suǒ), e.g. 被眼前的景象所震撼 (bèi yǎnqián de jǐngxiàng suǒ zhènhàn, “stunned by the scene before one”). This is just the ordinary 被 passive with an extra ornamental 所; the plain 被 version (no 所) is owned by 被 passive construction.
Forms & patterns
The 所-nominalizer, from decorated clause to frozen idiom:
| Pattern | Example | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| (Subj) + 所 + V + 的 + Noun | 我所认识的人 | wǒ suǒ rènshi de rén | the people I know |
| Subj + 所 + V + 的 (standalone) | 他所说的 | tā suǒ shuō de | what he said |
| 所 + V + 所 + V (idiom) | 所见所闻 | suǒ jiàn suǒ wén | what one sees and hears |
| 前 + 所 + 未 + V (idiom) | 前所未有 | qián suǒ wèi yǒu | unprecedented |
The passive frames, from most literary to neutral:
| Frame | Register | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 为 + Agent + 所 + V | formal / literary | 为人所知 (wéi rén suǒ zhī) - known by all |
| 被 + Agent + 所 + V | formal-leaning | 被大家所接受 (bèi dàjiā suǒ jiēshòu) - accepted by everyone |
| 被 + Agent + V | neutral (see lesson 37) | 被大家接受 (bèi dàjiā jiēshòu) - accepted by everyone |
Examples
- 这就是我所知道的一切。 (Zhè jiùshì wǒ suǒ zhīdào de yíqiè.) - This is everything I know.
- 他所说的话很有道理。 (Tā suǒ shuō de huà hěn yǒu dàolǐ.) - What he says makes a lot of sense.
- 我们所需要的只是时间。 (Wǒmen suǒ xūyào de zhǐshì shíjiān.) - What we need is only time.
- 请填写你所选择的答案。 (Qǐng tiánxiě nǐ suǒ xuǎnzé de dá’àn.) - Please fill in the answer you have chosen.
- 旅途中的所见所闻让我深受启发。 (Lǚtú zhōng de suǒ jiàn suǒ wén ràng wǒ shēn shòu qǐfā.) - What I saw and heard on the journey deeply inspired me.
- 他的贡献早已为人所知。 (Tā de gòngxiàn zǎo yǐ wéi rén suǒ zhī.) - His contributions have long been known to all.
- 这个观点渐渐为大家所接受。 (Zhège guāndiǎn jiànjiàn wéi dàjiā suǒ jiēshòu.) - This view is gradually being accepted by everyone.
- 他被眼前的景象所震撼。 (Tā bèi yǎnqián de jǐngxiàng suǒ zhènhàn.) - He was stunned by the scene before him.
- 这是一次前所未有的机会。 (Zhè shì yí cì qián suǒ wèi yǒu de jīhuì.) - This is an unprecedented opportunity.
Common mistakes
- 我所知道 -> 我所知道的 (wǒ suǒ zhīdào de) - A 所 phrase must be closed with 的 (or a head noun); bare 所 + verb is not a noun phrase, except in the frozen idioms.
- 为(wèi)人所知 -> 为(wéi)人所知 (wéi rén suǒ zhī) - In the passive frame 为 is read wéi (2nd tone), not the wèi “for the sake of” of purpose clauses.
- 书为所大家喜欢 -> 书为大家所喜欢 (shū wéi dàjiā suǒ xǐhuan) - The agent goes between 为 and 所; 所 always stands right before the verb.
- 我所看了的电影 -> 我所看的电影 (wǒ suǒ kàn de diànyǐng) - The 所 structure resists aspect particles; keep the verb bare, with no 了 / 过 / 着.
- 我所去的 (for “I who went”) -> 我所去的地方 (wǒ suǒ qù de dìfang) - 所 nominalizes the verb’s object, so a head noun (or its 的) must be the thing acted on, not the subject.
Tips
- 所 is pure decoration on a 的 relative clause: 我(所)知道的 works with or without it - the version with 所 just sounds more formal and literary. Reach for it in essays and reports, not in chat.
- Remember the pronunciation split: passive 为 = wéi (2nd tone, “by”); purpose 为 = wèi (4th tone, “for”). Same character, opposite jobs.
- 所 only ever pairs with a transitive verb - one that has an object to nominalize. If the verb takes no object (来 / 睡), 所 cannot be used.
- Collect the frozen 四字 idioms as ready-made vocabulary: 所见所闻, 前所未有, 无所不能, 力所能及 (lì suǒ néng jí, “within one’s power”). The 所 inside each is this very same nominalizer - as it is inside 有所 + Verb, which is not frozen: 有 takes the nominalized verb as its object and the verb slot stays open, though it wants a two-syllable verb (有所下降 yǒu suǒ xiàjiàng, to have fallen somewhat; 有所了解 yǒu suǒ liǎojiě, to know a certain amount). 无所 is the opposite case - outside 无所谓 and 无所适从 it barely moves.