Talk:so

hungry so I ate

Under which of the English meanings should you put the "so" in:
"I was hungry and so I ate something"?
In this instance, it's a synonym of "therefore," right? As such, it should be an adverb. However, this usage isn't listed on this page

— This unsigned comment was added by 70.244.205.206 (talk) at 22:10, 9 November 2008 (UTC).

so

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One small section of this looks to be a mistake. Anyone more learned than me care to take a look. ===Adverb=== '''so''' # [[very|Very]]. #: ''He is '''so''' good!'' #: ''It’s not '''so''' bad.''

To me, ignorant as I am, this looks more like adjective use than adverb use.--Richardb 12:00, 14 May 2007 (UTC)

So in "so good" and "so bad" is an adverb. Try translating them into some languages that differentiate adjectives and adverbs more clearly and you will see. —Stephen 13:13, 20 May 2007 (UTC)

So...

"'So' Pushes to the Head of the Line". at [1] or [2] May 22, 2010, New York Times. - Just noting; not sure where or how to add it in here. Quiddity 01:29, 9 July 2010 (UTC)

Grand so.

Does this count as a different use http://www.google.com/search?q=%22grand+so%22&hl=en&tbo=1&tbs=cloc:c,cl_loc:ireland&num=10&lr=&ft=i&cr=countryIE&safe=off so, in this case, meaning "in that case" or "then". Not just with "grand" but usually Kanjo Kotr 14:48, 29 October 2010 (UTC)

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so

===Adverb=== sense: therefore: He ate too much cake, so he got sick; He wanted a book, so he went to the library.

Isn't this a conjunction? I mean, therefore is an adverb, but this is not used the same way: therefore is used only to modify a sentence ("He ate too much cake; therefore, he got sick"), whereas so is used only to connect sentences. If I'm right that this belongs under ===Conjunction===, then its definition and translation table need fixing also.​—msh210℠ 17:02, 26 April 2010 (UTC)

"So" instead of "Well"

I hear a lot of people using "so" where one should use "well". Someone is asked a question, and instead of starting his answer with "Well, ...", he starts with "So ...". I remember a friend of mine doing that at least as far back as 2001, but it seems to be getting more common (unfortunately!). Eric Kvaalen (talk) 13:16, 26 February 2012 (UTC)

It's a stupid and ridiculous habit, especially as used by interview guests on NPR (U.S. National Public Radio) who sometimes answer every question by beginning with this word, which is meaningless in this context. 173.89.236.187 02:36, 5 March 2015 (UTC)

Can somebody post some real-world examples? We need to document the language as it is used. Equinox ◑ 02:38, 5 March 2015 (UTC)

"there is so a (something)"

None of our senses explains to me sentences like "There is so a Santa Claus!" or "And what do you know, the State listened, and decreed that yes, Mr. B., there is so a Plan B." [3] What does the "so" do there - does it emphasize the verb "be" which can't be emphasized by "do"? I mean, you can say "I do believe in Santa", but not "there does be a Santa", so do you say "there is so a Santa" instead? Or am I off the mark? --Thrissel (talk) 18:38, 1 May 2013 (UTC)

Sounds right to me. We also say simply, "It IS SO!" when contradicting someone who claims something is not the case. Eric Kvaalen (talk) 12:28, 1 June 2013 (UTC)

No doubt the sense discussed here comes from "It is so," in the sense of "It is thus (as I have said)." It's definitely distinct in meaning now and is still missing from the definitions. I'm unsure how to define it, so someone else will have to give that a try. JodianWarrior (talk) 11:52, 25 April 2015 (UTC)

This seems equivalent to definition five on too to me. I think it replaces not when disagreeing with a negative sentence, as in: "He did not!" "He did so/too!" Dijekjapen (talk) 18:02, 9 November 2016 (UTC)

Adverb comparative?

"IF he was covered in soot I was more so." Rich Farmbrough, 01:07, 5 June 2015 (UTC).

Missing German sense?

I think there is another, possibly obsolete, sense missing for German. An example would be: Machst du etw, so komme ich nicht. It would seem to be used like dann in this case. 75.121.177.226 11:02, 26 June 2015 (UTC)

Comparative adjective

I don't think it's comparable. Phrases like more so are not a comparative version of this adjective. I can't find any clear examples of "so" being used in a comparative sense (obviously hard to google though, someone else might have better luck). WurdSnatcher (talk) 15:03, 3 July 2015 (UTC)

PBS YouTube space-time (alien life episode) used "so" in the sense "like something, as something"

unofficial US and UK English, but extant — This unsigned comment was added by 2.84.220.243 (talk) at 07:00, 26 July 2016 (UTC).

Please quote the full sentence they used. Equinox ◑ 09:28, 26 July 2016 (UTC)

Missing sense(s) from Irish English?

I notice in the very Irish comedy series Father Ted that they often end sentences with "...so", apparently having some sense like "well then". The character Mrs Doyle seems to do this most often. "...right so" also occurs. What does it mean? Equinox ◑ 17:07, 5 July 2017 (UTC)

In the episode A Christmassy Ted, around 40 min 20 sec, there are two examples close together:

- Oh, well, we'll be off, so. See you all soon.

- Right. See you.

- It's been great.

- God bless, so.

Equinox ◑ 02:48, 3 March 2024 (UTC)

Interesting! This stackexchange thread and this site say it's sometimes equivalent to "then", in uses like John: "I am thirsty." Mary: "I'll pour you a drink so." In some other cases it seems like it might have lost all meaning and just be a filler sound like eh. BTW, in checking the English Dialect Dictionary (which possibly has this as sense 10: "so then"), I spotted two other interjections we lack: "A command to be quiet, or cease what one is doing" (cite: "So, so, lad! that's eniff"), and "Used to correct a slip of the tongue" (cites: "He said it wor three miles to Baildon. So! four miles.", "Ah said fower; ah mean three so but", "'Ur's ten, so, eleven year old", "Open the door; the window, so"). - -sche (discuss) 04:25, 3 March 2024 (UTC)

In that state or manner; with that attribute. A proadjective that replaces the aforementioned adjective phrase.

The Am Heritage Dict specifies

ADJ: 2. In good order: Everything on his desk must be exactly so. 
https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=so+
PRONOUN: Such as has already been suggested or specified; (roughly) the same: She became a loyal friend and remained so.

--Backinstadiums (talk) 19:03, 19 July 2020 (UTC)

Adverb ; Pronoun

1. having the purpose of: a speech so commemorating the victory. 
2. hence; therefore; for that reason: She was ill, and so stayed home

1. such as has been stated: to be good and stay so.
2. something that is about or near the persons or things in question, as in number or amount: of the original twelve, five or so remain.
https://www.wordreference.com/definition/so

What about this lexicographic approach? --Backinstadiums (talk) 00:59, 9 November 2020 (UTC)

She was environmentally aware all right, rather too much so. --Backinstadiums (talk) 16:27, 12 August 2021 (UTC)

so very

Is so also "informal" when followed by very, as in Their attitude is so very English? --Backinstadiums (talk) 17:38, 23 November 2020 (UTC)

like so

like so reads (Adv) thus: Stand with both arms out, (like) so. --Backinstadiums (talk) 10:56, 30 January 2021 (UTC)

more so

The adjective meaning says more so is its comparative, so SoP? --Backinstadiums (talk) 17:01, 4 February 2021 (UTC)

explanatory so: He could not move, he was so cold.

What meaning is used in He could not move, he was so cold. --Backinstadiums (talk) 16:47, 28 February 2021 (UTC)

Adverb sense 1 of course. Equinox ◑ 17:36, 28 February 2021 (UTC)

so did(n't)

New England speakers often use a negative form such as so didn't where others would use the positive so did, as in Sophie ate all her strawberries and so didn't Amelia.
https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=so

--Backinstadiums (talk) 20:42, 19 March 2021 (UTC)

not so

Richard assumes Elizabeth is at home. Not so. --Backinstadiums (talk) 11:19, 19 April 2021 (UTC)

Unlike "very", it presumes that the listener or reader will be sympathetic to the speaker

So "to a great degree or extent" is most common in informal contexts because, unlike the neutral very, it presumes that the locutor will be sympathetic to the speaker. Thus one would be more apt to say It was so unfair of them not to invite you than It was so fortunate that I didn't have to put up with your company. https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=so --Backinstadiums (talk) 18:01, 29 July 2021 (UTC)

Jamaican Creole

So is also used in Jamaican Creole (patwa) to mean ‘of a particular kind’, a generalisation of ‘so’ meaning ‘in a particular manner’. No doubt such usage is influenced by the fact like that can mean ‘of a particular kind’ or ‘in a particular manner’. An example of this is the song by Notch called ‘Nothing no go so’, the title and chorus of which mean ‘No action of that (specified) kind is acceptable’ - the exact nature of the said action varies from verse to verse but ‘No behaving in that (specified) manner’ doesn’t seem as good a translation. Also adding ‘so’ to the words ‘yah’ and ‘dey’ to make yah so and dey so, as well as at the end of sentences for emphasis in general (in Jamaican, Irish and occasionally MLE, though in different circumstances for each) could be mentioned. A Jamaican character in the Satanic Verses says: “Who ask you to mash up me life so?” (p.331)Overlordnat1 (talk) 12:32, 30 November 2021 (UTC)

so very

As in it's so very good --Backinstadiums (talk) 12:38, 2 May 2022 (UTC)

so'll

As in she'll have a beer and so'll I. JMGN (talk) 01:07, 27 October 2024 (UTC)

Usage note: vs very

According to Swan's Practical, so can be used after say and tell instead of repeating information in a that-clause, but mostly when we are talking about the authority for statements or reasons; to simply identify the speaker, that is preferred. JMGN (talk) 23:57, 1 April 2025 (UTC)

This usage of "so" is pronominal. One of the parts of speech that this word has according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary is actually a pronoun in cases like the one you just mentioned. I'm assuming that the that-clauses here would be noun clauses, right? Like in "He said that he was ready" → "he said so"? In which case, I do believe this is a pronominal use of the word. I'll add it in as a usage soon if someone else doesn't. Can you also link the page number to the book? I found a PDF version, but there's over 600 pages in it... Languagelover3000 (talk) 06:01, 7 April 2025 (UTC)

@Languagelover3000 Compare:

J’s crazy. — Who says so? — Dr. Smith.

J’s crazy. —Who said that? — Me. JMGN (talk) 09:00, 7 April 2025 (UTC)

Yeah. So & that are being used in the exact way here. So replaces that in a constituency test. You can also use the word do too, as in do so. Languagelover3000 (talk) 09:07, 7 April 2025 (UTC)

There are many errors in the definition of this word in English.

I can I identify 5 main issues, from which smaller issues arise.

(1) For conjunction sense 2, the phrase “with the result that” doesn’t roll off the tongue well. If we plug in the phrase to the example sentences, it doesn’t really sound that good.

I was hungry, so I asked if there was any more food. → I was hungry, with the result that I asked if there was any more food.

He ate too much cake, so he fell ill. → He ate too much cake, with the result that he fell ill.

He wanted a book, so he went to the library. → He wanted a book, with the result that he went to the library.

“I need to go to the bathroom.” ― “So go!” → “I need to go to the bathroom.” ― “With the result that go!”

The only sentence that sounds grammatical is the second one. The first one is a bit weird, because no one would use “with the result that” in that context. We’d maybe say instead, “as a result” or “because of this”. That’s why I think rephrasing this definition as “as a result” would work much much better. For the fourth sentence, only the phrases “for that reason” or “because of that” could work in substitution. Adding phrases like “due to the previous statement”, “because of the previous statement”, “due to which” or “because of which” would also work as definitions for this sense of the word.

In the past, I’ve tried editing it for this (under an IP address), but it got reverted immediately within a couple of minutes or so. Because of that, I’m making this topic in the talk page so at least if someone reverts my edit, they can see my reasoning behind it in great detail. The criticism for why it was removed was because “with the result that” was fine as it is, but I think it’s too long of a phrase, doesn’t roll off the tongue and that there are other phrases that explain the same thing that might be actually used.

(2) For adverb sense 1, it should read “to the (explicitly stated) extent” and not “to the (explicitly stated) extent that”. This “that” is incorrect because if we insert that definition into the sentence examples, it is ungrammatical.

It was so hot outside that all the plants died. → It was hot outside to the explicitly stated extent that that all the plants died.

I have changed it a while ago and fortunately no one has reverted my edit since then. Although it’s not an issue with the page now, I’m mentioning it because it is an issue I saw with the page when I first came, and it is an edit that I made.

Also, the word “that” shouldn’t be underlined. It doesn’t match how the rest aren’t.

(3) For adverb sense 5, the second sentence example is not a correct example.

If that's what you mean, then say so; (or do so). → If that's what you mean, then say in a particular manner; (or do in a particular manner).

Simply, this is the wrong example to use. This type of “so” is actually acting as a pronoun, as if it were the demonstrative pronoun “that”, as the Merriam-Webster Dictionary can attest to.

The 1963 quote is wrong. It is “so” with adverb sense 4.

The first example is also actually an instance of adverb sense 6

Place the napkin on the table just so → Place the napkin on the table just in a particular manner; Place the napkin on the table just in the aforementioned manner

The first substitution is wrong for this meaning of “so”, but the second one is correct.

(4) Adjective sense 1 doesn’t roll off the tongue that well if we substitute the meaning into the examples.

You are responsible for this, is that not so? → You are responsible for this, is that not as I have mentioned?

If we were to substitute it for the word “true”, it works much better.

You are responsible for this, is that not so? → You are responsible for this, is that not true?

This is the attempt that the Merriam-Webster Dictionary makes with this word.

(5) We’re totally missing the pronoun sense of this word, which was shown earlier to be registered by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

Plan

I will be editing this page and implementing these ideas into it. If you have any objection, I would really appreciate that you at least tell me about it before swiftly reverting the edit.

Edit 1: Just realized that conjunction sense 3 and interjection sense 3 have near identical examples and definitions. They're essentially copies of each other. I'll remove the conjunction sense because the hypernyms listed under this sense—"I mean", "like", "well" and "you know"—are either analysed as particles or as interjections. So I'll keep the interjection form and delete the conjunction sense.

Edit 2: And adverb sense 2, example 2 "there are only so many hours in a day" is an example of "so many", not of "to the (implied) extent"

There are only many hours in a day to the (implied) extent.

Doesn't make too much sense to me.

Languagelover3000 (talk) 08:36, 12 April 2025 (UTC)

Do pro-form

Behavioural process verbs (break) can use so/that/it, but material ones (switch off) only rarely with it. Additionally, projecting verbs (say) with so/that, mental projecting (think) only with so, and relational (become) with so/?that. JMGN (talk) 10:29, 17 April 2025 (UTC)

And so to...

Formula for winding up the account of a debate or incident. JMGN (talk) 18:41, 21 April 2025 (UTC)

Explanatory so

Fowler's example: He could not move, he was so cold. JMGN (talk) 18:46, 21 April 2025 (UTC)

I said I’d help, and so I will/have.

What meaning is used here? JMGN (talk) 20:09, 25 April 2025 (UTC)

(adv) Afterward, then; (adj) in good order

To the gas station and so home; Everything on my desk must be exactly so. JMGN (talk) 17:13, 3 May 2025 (UTC)