so

See also: Appendix:Variations of "so"

Translingual

Symbol

so

1. (international standards) ISO 639-1 language code for Somali.

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English so, swo, zuo, swa, swe, from Old English swā, swǣ, swē (“so, as, the same, such, that”), from Proto-West Germanic *swā, from Proto-Germanic *swa, *swē (“so”), from Proto-Indo-European *swē, *swō (reflexive pronomial stem). Cognate with Scots sae (“so”), West Frisian sa (“so”), Low German so (“so”), Dutch zo (“so”), German so (“so”), Danish så (“so”), Norwegian Nynorsk so, Swedish så ("so, such that"), Old Latin suad (“so”), Albanian sa (“how much, so, as”), Ancient Greek ὡς (hōs, “as”), Urdu سو‎ (sō, “hence”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: sō, IPA^(key): /səʊ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /soʊ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊ
• Homophones: seau, sew, soe, soh, soy (some non-standard dialects); sow (sense 2)

Conjunction

so

1. Reduced form of 'so that', used to express purpose; in order that.

   I got an earlier train to work so I'd have plenty of time to prepare for the meeting.

   Eat your broccoli so you can have dessert.

2. With the result that; for that reason; therefore.
   • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 1, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:

     Thinks I to myself, “Sol, you're run off your course again. This is a rich man's summer ‘cottage’ […].” So I started to back away again into the bushes. But I hadn't backed more'n a couple of yards when I see something so amazing that I couldn't help scooching down behind the bayberries and looking at it.

   I was hungry, so I asked if there was any more food.

   He ate too much cake, so he fell ill.

   He wanted a book, so he went to the library.

   “I need to go to the bathroom.” ― “So go!”

3. Used to connect previous conversation or events to the following question.

   So how does this story end?

4. Used to introduce a rhetorical question.

   “We'd like to visit but I don't know if we can afford a hotel.” — “So who's staying in a hotel? Stay with us.”

5. (archaic) Provided that; on condition that, as long as.
   • c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:

     Speed. ‘Item: She doth talk in her sleep.’
     Launce. It’s no matter for that, so she sleep not in her talk.

   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 18, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:

     As we cal money not onely that which is true and good, but also the false; so it be currant.

   • 1644, John Milton, Areopagitica; a Speech of Mr. John Milton for the Liberty of Unlicenc’d Printing, to the Parlament of England, London: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 35:

     […] though all the windes of doctrin were let loose play upon the earth, so Truth be in the field, we do injuriously by licencing and prohibiting to misdoubt her strength.

   • 1743, Robert Drury, The Pleasant, and Surprizing Adventures of Mr. Robert Drury, during his Fifteen Years Captivity on the Island of Madagascar, London, p. 111,^[2]

     I went away very well satisfy’d, not caring where I was sent, so it was but out of his Sight; for he now became more my Aversion than ever.

Usage notes

Chiefly in North American use, a comma or pause is often used before the conjunction when used in the sense with the result that. (A similar meaning can often be achieved by using a semicolon or colon (without the so), as for example: He drank the poison; he died.)

Synonyms

• (in order that): so that, that

Translations

See so/translations § Conjunction.

Adverb

so (not comparable)

1. To the (explicitly stated) extent that.

   It was so hot outside that all the plants died.

   He was so good, they hired him on the spot.

   • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 1, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:

     Thinks I to myself, “Sol, you're run off your course again. This is a rich man's summer ‘cottage’ […].” So I started to back away again into the bushes. But I hadn't backed more'n a couple of yards when I see something so amazing that I couldn't help scooching down behind the bayberries and looking at it.

   • 2013 July 20, “Old soldiers?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:

     Whether modern, industrial man is less or more warlike than his hunter-gatherer ancestors is impossible to determine. The machine gun is so much more lethal than the bow and arrow that comparisons are meaningless.

2. (informal) To the (implied) extent.

   I need a piece of cloth so long. [= this long]

   There are only so many hours in a day.

   • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter II, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

     We drove back to the office with some concern on my part at the prospect of so large a case. Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke.

   1. (informal) Very (positive clause).

      I feel so much better now.

      I so nearly lost my temper.

      • 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

        Captain Edward Carlisle […] felt a curious sensation of helplessness seize upon him as he met her steady gaze, […]; he could not tell what this prisoner might do. He cursed the fate which had assigned such a duty, cursed especially that fate which forced a gallant soldier to meet so superb a woman as this under handicap so hard.

   2. (informal) Very (negative clause).

      It’s not so bad. [i.e. it's acceptable]

   3. (slang, chiefly US) Very much.

      But I so want to see the Queen when she visits our town!

      That is so not true!

      • 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:

        Molly the dairymaid came a little way from the rickyard, and said she would pluck the pigeon that very night after work. She was always ready to do anything for us boys; and we could never quite make out why they scolded her so for an idle hussy indoors. It seemed so unjust.

      • 1989, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #5, Archie Comics:

        I so wanted to be Jess Harley again.

      • 2003 April 16, Michael Stokes, “I, Dude”, in Totally Spies!, season 2, episode 9, Teletoon, Marathon Media, spoken by Clover (Andrea Taylor):

        Yeah! Not eating is so 90’s!

3. In a particular manner.

   Place the napkin on the table just so. If that's what you mean, then say so; (or do so).

   • 1963, Mike Hawker, Ivor Raymonde (music and lyrics), Dusty Springfield (vocalist), I Only Want to Be with You (single),

     Don′t know what it is that makes me love you so, / I only know I never want to let you go.

4. In the same manner or to the same extent as aforementioned; also.

   Just as you have the right to your free speech, so I have the right to mine.  Many people say she's the world's greatest athlete, but I don't think so.  "I can count backwards from one hundred." "So can I."

   ‘There're another two.’ ‘So there are.’

   • 1883, Howard Pyle, chapter V, in The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood […], New York, N.Y.: […] Charles Scribner’s Sons […], →OCLC:

     "Good morrow to thee, jolly fellow," quoth Robin, "thou seemest happy this merry morn." ¶ "Ay, that am I," quoth the jolly Butcher, "and why should I not be so? Am I not hale in wind and limb? Have I not the bonniest lass in all Nottinghamshire? And lastly, am I not to be married to her on Thursday next in sweet Locksley Town?"

   • 2012 May 19, Paul Fletcher, “Blackpool 1-2 West Ham”, in BBC Sport:

     It was a goal that meant West Ham won on their first appearance at Wembley in 31 years, in doing so becoming the first team since Leicester in 1996 to bounce straight back to the Premier League through the play-offs.

   • 2019, Amanda Koci, Henry Walter, Charlie Puth, Maria Smith, Victor Thellm, Gigi Grombacher, Roland Spreckle (lyrics and music), “So Am I”, performed by Ava Max:

     it's okay to be different
     'Cause baby, so am I

5. (with as): To such an extent or degree; as.

   so far as;  so long as;  so much as

Usage notes

• Use of so in the sense to the implied extent is discouraged in formal writing; spoken intonation which might render the usage clearer is not usually apparent to the reader, who might reasonably expect the extent to be made explicit. For example, the reader may expect He is so good to be followed by an explanation or consequence of how good he is. Devices such as use of underscoring and the exclamation mark may be used as a means of clarifying that the implicit usage is intended; capitalising SO is also used. The derivative subsenses very and very much are similarly more apparent with spoken exaggerated intonation.

• The difference between so and very in implied-extent usage is that very is more descriptive or matter-of-fact, while so indicates more emotional involvement. For example, she is very clever is a simple statement of opinion; she is so clever suggests admiration. Likewise, that is very typical is a simple statement; that is SO typical of him! is an indictment. A formal (and reserved) apology may be expressed I am very sorry, but after elbowing someone in the nose during a basketball game, a man might say, Dude, I am so sorry! in order to ensure that it's understood as an accident.

Synonyms

• (very): really, truly, that, very
• (to a particular extent): that, this, yea
• (in a particular manner): like this, thus
• (slang: very much): really, truly, very much

Derived terms

• and so forth
• oh so
• or so
• so much
• so on
• so there
• so what
• so-so

 

Translations

See so/translations § Adverb.

Adjective

so (comparative more so, superlative most so)

1. True, accurate.

   That is so.

   You are responsible for this, is that not so?

   • 1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, chapter IV, in Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:

     “My Continental prominence is improving,” I commented dryly. ¶ Von Lindowe cut at a furze bush with his silver-mounted rattan. ¶ “Quite so,” he said as dryly, his hand at his mustache. “I may say if your intentions were known your life would not be worth a curse.”

2. In that state or manner; with that attribute. A proadjective that replaces the aforementioned adjective phrase.
   • 1823, Andrew Reed, Martha

     If this separation was painful to all parties, it was most so to Martha.

   • 1872, Charles Dickens, J., The Personal History of David Copperfield

     But if I had been more fit to be married, I might have made you more so too.

   • 1947, Liberty Hyde Bailey, The Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture:

     It must be understood that while the nelumbiums are hardy, they are so only as long as the tubers are out of the reach of frost.

3. (dated, UK, slang) Homosexual.

   Is he so?

Synonyms

• (true): correct, right, true
• (euphemistic: homosexual): musical, one of the family, one of them, that way inclined

Derived terms

• make it so
• more so

Translations

See so/translations § Adjective.

Interjection

so

1. Used after a pause for thought to introduce a new topic, question or story, or a new thought or question in continuation of an existing topic.

   Synonyms: look, well, see, hey

   So, let's go home.

   So, what'll you have?

   So, there was this squirrel stuck in the chimney...

   So, everyone wants to know – did you win the contest or not?

   • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 11, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:

     So, after a spell, he decided to make the best of it and shoved us into the front parlor. 'Twas a dismal sort of place, with hair wreaths, and wax fruit, and tin lambrekins, and land knows what all.

2. Used as a question to ask for further explanation of something said, often rhetorically or in a dismissive or impolite manner.

   "You park your car in front of my house every morning." — "So?"

3. Used as a meaningless filler word to begin a response to a question.

   What are you doing? / So I'm just fixing this shelf.

   What time does the train leave? / So it leaves at 10 o'clock.

4. (archaic) Be as you are; stand still; used especially to cows; also used by sailors.

Usage notes

Though certain uses of "sentence-initial so" had been common for a long time, the perceived excessive use of the word at the start of sentences, such as at the start of answers to questions, became controversial in the 2010s, being described as "annoying".

Translations

See so/translations § Interjection.

Etymology 2

Pronoun

so

1. Abbreviation of someone.

Synonyms

• sb (“somebody”)

Etymology 3

Shortened from sol, to make it an open syllable for uniformity with the rest of the scale.

Noun

so (plural sos)

1. (music) A syllable used in solfège to represent the fifth note of a major scale.

Translations

sol — see sol

Etymology 4

Borrowed from Japanese 蘇 (so).

Noun

so (uncountable)

1. (foods) A type of dairy product, made especially in Japan between the seventh and 10th centuries, by reducing milk by boiling it.

See also

• So (dairy product) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Another photo of so at Wikicommons

Further reading

• so at OneLook Dictionary Search
• so in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911

Anagrams

• -os, -os-, O&S, O's, O. S., O.S., OS, OS., Os, o's, o.s., os, os-

Afrikaans

Alternative forms

• soe (Western Cape)

Etymology

From Dutch zo, from Middle Dutch sô, from Old Dutch sō, from Proto-West Germanic *swā, from a merger of Proto-Germanic *swa and *swē.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sʊə̯/

Adverb

so

1. so, like that/this, thus (in such a way)
2. so, that, to such an extent

Derived terms

• sodat

Aiwoo

Verb

so

1. To stand (to be in a standing position).

References

• Ross, M. & Næss, Å. (2007), “An Oceanic origin for Äiwoo, the language of the Reef Islands?”, in Oceanic Linguistics, volume 46, issue 2. Cited in: "Äiwoo" in Greenhill, S.J., Blust, R., & Gray, R.D. (2008). The Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database: From Bioinformatics to Lexomics. Evolutionary Bioinformatics, 4:271-283.

Asturian

Etymology 1

From Latin sub.

Preposition

so

1. under

Derived terms

• sol

Etymology 2

From Latin suus (“his, her, its”).

Adjective

so m sg (feminine singular so, neuter singular so, masculine plural sos, feminine plural sos)

1. his, her, its
2. your (polite)
3. their

Pronoun

so

1. his, hers
2. yours (polite)

Related terms

• suyu

Etymology 3

Alternative forms

• soi

Verb

so

1. first-person singular present indicative of ser

Bambara

Etymology 1

Noun

so (tone sǒ)

1. horse

Derived terms

• nɛgɛso
• sobolila
• sokɛ
• sòden
• sòmuso
• sòtigi

 

Etymology 2

Noun

so

1. house, home

Derived terms

• soba
• soden
• sojan
• sojɔ
• sokɔlɔsila
• sokɔnɔbagan
• sokɔnɔkɔnɔ
• sokɔnɔminɛnw
• sotigi

 

Basque

Noun

so

1. look

Brokskat

Pronoun

so

1. he

Catalan

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central, Valencian) IPA^(key): /ˈsɔ/

Etymology 1

From Old Catalan so~son, from Latin sonus. Compare Occitan son, French son, Spanish sueno.

Noun

so m (plural sons)

1. sound

Related terms

• sonar
• sònic

Etymology 2

Verb

so

1. Obsolete spelling of só

References

• “so” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “so”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
• “so” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “so” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Chinese

Etymology 1

From clipping of English jetso, from Cantonese 著數／着数 (zoek⁶ sou³).

Pronunciation

• Cantonese (Jyutping): sou⁴

---

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: sou⁴
    • Yale: sòuh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: sou⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: sou⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sou̯²¹/

Noun

so

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) benefit; advantage; bargain; discount

Adjective

so

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) bargain; advantageous

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:so.

Etymology 2

From clipping of English socialise.

Alternative forms

• (eye dialect) show

Pronunciation

• Cantonese (Jyutping): sou¹

---

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: sou¹
    • Yale: sōu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: sou¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: sou¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sou̯⁵⁵/

Verb

so

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) to respond; to pay attention to

Related terms

• social

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• Cantonese (Jyutping): sou²

---

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: sou²
    • Yale: sóu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: sou²
    • Guangdong Romanization: sou²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sou̯³⁵/

Noun

so

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese, in compounds) Alternative form of soc (“society”)

Corsican

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin sum, from Latin suum, from Proto-Italic *sowos, from Proto-Indo-European *sewos. Cognates include Italian suo and French son.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈso/

Determiner

so

1. his, her, their

Usage notes

• so is preceded by a definite article (u, a, i, e or l'):

  U so libru. ― His book.

• Unlike its French or Italian cognates, so does not decline, either by gender or number:

  U so libru, i so libri. ― His book, his books.

References

• “so” in INFCOR: Banca di dati di a lingua corsa

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈsobota]

Noun

so

1. Abbreviation of sobota (“Saturday”).

Danish

Etymology

From Old Norse sýr, from Proto-Germanic *sūz, from Proto-Indo-European *sū-.

Noun

so c (singular definite soen, plural indefinite søer)

1. sow (female pig)
2. (derogatory) slut

Declension

Declension of so

common gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	so	soen	søer	søerne
genitive	sos	soens	søers	søernes

References

• “so” in Den Danske Ordbog

Elfdalian

Etymology

From Old Norse svá, from Proto-Germanic *swa, *swē. Cognate with Swedish så.

Adverb

so

1. so, like that, in that manner
2. so, to such a degree

Esperanto

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

• IPA^(key): [so]
• Hyphenation: so

Noun

so (accusative singular so-on, plural so-oj, accusative plural so-ojn)

1. The name of the Latin-script letter S.

See also

• (Latin-script letter names) litero; a, bo, co, ĉo, do, e, fo, go, ĝo, ho, ĥo, i, jo, ĵo, ko, lo, mo, no, o, po, ro, so, ŝo, to, u, ŭo, vo, zo

Faroese

Etymology

From Old Norse svá, from Proto-Germanic *swa, *swē (“so”), from Proto-Indo-European *swē, *swō (reflexive pronomial stem).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /soː/
• Rhymes: -oː
• Homophone: soð

Adverb

so (not comparable)

1. so, thus, as
2. then

Finnish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈso(ː)/, [ˈs̠o̞(ː)]
• Rhymes: -o
• Syllabification^(key): so

Interjection

so

1. Alternative form of soo

Folopa

Alternative forms

• sou

Noun

so

1. woman

References

• Karl James Franklin, Pacific Linguistics (1973, →ISBN, page 130: Polopa so/sou woman, cf. DAR sou female animal but we woman.
• Karl J. Franklin, Comparative Wordlist 1 of the Gulf District and adjacent areas (1975), page 15: Boro, Suri, Tebera sou, Sopese šo
• Carol Anderson, Beginning Folopa Language Lessons and Simple Glossary (2010) (as so)

Friulian

Etymology

From Latin suus.

Pronoun

so (third-person singular possessive of masculine singular, of feminine singular sô, of masculine plural siei, of feminine plural sôs)

1. (used attributively) his, her, its; of his, hers, its
2. (used predicatively) his, hers, its
3. (used substantively) his, hers, its; the thing belonging to him, her,it

See also

• gno
• lôr
• nestri
• to
• vuestri

Galician

Alternative forms

• su

Etymology

From Old Galician-Portuguese so, su, sob, from Latin sub.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [sʊ]

Preposition

so

1. under, beneath

References

• “so” in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval, SLI - ILGA 2006–2022.
• “so” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006–2013.

German

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *swā, from Proto-Germanic *swa, *swē, compare with Old Dutch so and Dutch zo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /zoː/

• Audio

  (file)

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -oː

Adverb

so

1. so, such, that

   Die Leute sind so nett. ― People are so nice.

   Dieser Hammer ist nicht so gut. ― This hammer is not that good.

   Das ist so eine gute Idee! ― That is such a good idea!

   so und so ― such and such

2. as (followed by an adjective or adverb plus wie in a statement of equality)

   Er rennt so schnell wie der Blitz. ― He runs as fast as lightning.

3. thus, like this/that, in this/that way, in this/that manner

   Wenn du den Ball so wirfst, triffst du die Zielscheibe.

   If you throw the ball like this, you'll hit the target.

4. then (in that case)

   Wirst du wieder gesund, so freue ich mich. ― If you get healthy again, then I'll be happy.

5. (colloquial) expletive; sometimes intensifying, sometimes with no noticeable meaning

   Wir sind runtergegangen und haben uns hier so hingesetzt.

   We went downstairs and, like, sat down here.

Derived terms

• einfach so

Conjunction

so

1. (coordinating) thus, so, pursuant to the aforementioned premises
   • 2018, Czermak, Gerhard; Hilgendorf, Eric, Religions- und Weltanschauungsrecht. Eine Einführung, 2nd edition, Springer, →DOI, →ISBN, § 7 Individuelle Religions- und Weltanschauungsfreiheit Rn. 130, page 68:

     Im Einzelnen ist die Abgrenzung zwischen Bekenntnisfreiheit und Religionsausübungsfreiheit unsicher. So kann etwa die religiöse Kleidung auch der Religionsausübungsfreiheit zugeordnet werden.

     In detail the difference between freedom of confessing and freedom of practicing religion is insecure. Thus for instance, religious clothing can be assigned to the freedom of practicing religion as well.

2. (subordinating, chiefly archaic, sometimes law and regional) an, if

   Synonyms: falls, im Falle dass, wenn

   So es Euch beliebt. ― If it pleases you.

Particle

so

1. (colloquial) quotative particle, somewhat similar to be like but also combinable with other verbs

   Ich so: "Mach mal dalli!", und er dann so: "Ich bin ja schon dabei!"

   I was like, "Hurry up!" and he was like, "I'm already on it!"

   Ich dachte mir nur so: "Ja komm, lass stecken."

   All I thought to myself [at that moment] was, "Yeah whatever, forget about it."

   • 1998, Dendemann (lyrics), “Ich so, Er so”, performed by Eins Zwo:

     Und er so wie aus heiterem Himmel so: Momentchen, da läuft doch Hip-Hop!
     Und ich so: Ja, das ist richtig!
     Und er so: Biste auch Rapper?
     Und ich so: Ja, so Hobby
     Und der Typ so original so: Oh welch ein Zufall, das bin ich nämlich auch!

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

   • 2022 May 16, Lou Zucker, “Erwartungen beim Dating: Mehr als das Minimum”, in Die Tageszeitung: taz‎^[3], →ISSN:

     Besonders überzeugt hatte mich dieser Moment meines Dates: „Ich habe gesagt: Ich weiß nicht, ob ich mich gerade bereit für Sex fühle. Da lag ich schon halb nackt in seinem Bett. Und er so: Cool, dann können wir ja einfach knutschen und kuscheln!“

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

Usage notes

• This quotation particle can be combined with a number of verbs but, somewhat unusually, it doesn't require the clause to contain any predicate at all. In such cases, the meaning is roughly that of to say in the past tense.

Pronoun

so

1. (obsolete, relative) that, which, who

   Derhalben sind die Christen schuldig, der Obrigkeit unterthan […] zu seyn in Allem, so ohne Sünde geschehen mag.

   That do the Christians owe: to be obedient to the authority […] in all that may be done without sin.

   (Augsburger Bekenntnis)

Synonyms

• wo
• der
• welcher

Interjection

so

1. (colloquial) a discourse marker in the beginning of a sentence indicating a topic having been dealt with and another being tackled

   Synonyms: tamam, okay, in Ordnung, fein, gut

   • 1887, Engel, Eduard, Griechische Frühlingstage, 4th, purer edition, Radebeul bei Dresden: Haupt & Hammon, published 1927, page 361:

     So, das sind die Entscheidungen der größten Gelehrten über die doch nicht ganz unwichtige Frage, wie eine der Sprachen auszusprechen sei, in der jahraus jahrein in Deutschland gutgezählte 50 000 junge Menschenkinder unterrichtet werden.
     Trotz jenen Entscheidungen ist natürlich noch lange nicht daran zu denken, daß dem Unfug einer als gänzlich falsch erkannten Aussprache des Griechischen ein Ende gesetzt wäre. Der Schlendrian wird auf diesem Gebiete des Schulwesens wohl ebenso lange dauern, wie auf vielen andern; denn bequem ist allerdings jener Schlendrian, nur wissenschaftlich ist er nicht, und unbrauchbar für das Leben ist er obendrein. Die Beseitigung des Schlendrians werde ich wohl nicht mehr erleben, auch dann nicht, wenn Plato selber aus der Asche auferstünde und die deutschen Schulmänner die richtige Aussprache lehrte. Sie würden ihm beweisen, daß er sich irre: er habe in den mehr als zwei Jahrtausenden seit seinem Tode gewiß die richtige Aussprache vergessen; sie aber, die deutschen Oberlehrer und Direktoren, kennten sie ganz genau: sie wäre buchstäblich so wie das Neuhochdeutsche des 20. Jahrhunderts gewesen.

     So these are the reckonings of the greatest scholars about the not quite insignificant question how one of the languages which is taught to about 50 000 young lads per annum should be pronounced.
     In spite of these reckonings by far it is not to think that this buffoonery of an utterly wrong pronunciation of Greek would come to an end. The litherness in this field of schooling will last as long as in many others; for convenient it is forsooth, but scientific it is not, and devoid of use for life ’tis on top. The elimination of this litherness I will not be an observer of in my lifetime, even if Plato himself were to rise from his ashes and teach the pedants the right pronunciation. They would shew him his being at fault: he surely has forgot the right pronunciation; but them, the senior and head teachers know it very well; it would be literally like the New High German of the 20th century.

Further reading

• “so” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• Friedrich Kluge (1883), “so”, in , John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891

Gothic

Romanization

sō

1. Romanization of 𐍃𐍉

Indonesian

Adverb

so

1. Alternative form of sok

Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sˠɔ/

Determiner

so

1. Munster form of seo (used after a word ending in a velarized ("broad") consonant)
   • 1939, Peig Sayers, “Inghean an Cheannaidhe”, printed in Marie-Louise Sjoestedt, Description d’un parler irlandais de Kerry, Bibliothèque de l'École des Hautes Études 270. Paris: Librairie Honoré Champion, p. 193:

     Ní raibh aoinne cloinne age n-a muinntir ach í agus do mhéaduigh sin uirrim agus grádh na ndaoine don inghean óg so.

     Her parents had no children but her, and that increased the esteem and love of the people for this young girl.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “so”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Kuninao Nashimoto (March 2020) ニューエクスプレスプラス アイルランド語 [New Express Plus Irish] (in Japanese), Tokyo: Hakusuisha, →ISBN, pages 17-19

Italian

Alternative forms

• sò (misspelling)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɔ‿|| ˈsɔ/

Verb

so

1. first-person singular present indicative of sapere (“I know”)

   Non lo so. ― I don't know (it).

   Lo so io! ― (But) I do (know it)!

References

• so in Luciano Canepari, Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)

Japanese

Romanization

so

1. Rōmaji transcription of そ
2. Rōmaji transcription of ソ

Ladino

Verb

so (Latin spelling)

1. first-person singular present indicative of ser

Luxembourgish

Verb

so

1. second-person singular imperative of soen

Mauritian Creole

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /so/

Etymology 1

From French son.

Pronoun

so

1. (possessive) his, her, its, one's

Etymology 2

From French chaud.

Adjective

so

1. hot, warm.

Antonyms

• fre

Middle Dutch

Etymology 1

From Old Dutch sō, from Proto-West Germanic *swā, from Proto-Germanic *swa.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /zoː/

Adverb

sô

1. so, like that, in that manner
2. so, to such a degree
3. (so ... alse) as
4. then, in that case
5. so, therefore

Conjunction

sô

1. if, in the case that
2. like, as
3. (so ... so) both ... and

Descendants

• Dutch: zo
• Limburgish: zoe, zoea

Etymology 2

Weakened form of soe.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /zoː/, /zo/

Pronoun

sô

1. (chiefly Flemish) Alternative form of si (“she”)

Further reading

• “so (I)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• “so (II)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J. (1885–1929), “so”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English swā, from Proto-West Germanic *swā.

Alternative forms

• swo

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɔː/

Adverb

so

1. so

Descendants

• English: so
• Scots: sae
• Yola: zo, zoo, sae

References

• “sō, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

Pronoun

so

1. (chiefly Northern dialectal) Alternative form of sche

Northern Sami

Etymology

Borrowed from Norwegian så.

Adverb

so

1. so, then, in that case
2. so, to this or that extent

Further reading

• Koponen, Eino; Ruppel, Klaas; Aapala, Kirsti, editors (2002–2008) Álgu database: Etymological database of the Saami languages‎^[4], Helsinki: Research Institute for the Languages of Finland

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

• så

Etymology

From Middle Norwegian so, svo, from Old Norse svá, from Proto-Indo-European *swa. Akin to English so.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /suː/

Adverb

so

1. so

   Dei seier so.

   So they say.

2. that

   Eg visste ikkje at dei skulle vera so mange.

   I didn't know that they were going to be that many.

3. as

   So vidt eg veit.

   As far as I know.

4. then

   Eg gjekk på kino. So gjekk eg heim.

   I went to the movies. Then I went home.

Conjunction

so

1. so

   Eg barberte meg, so ho skulle synast eg var fin.

   I shaved so that she would think I looked nice.

References

• “so” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Occitan

Etymology

From Old Occitan so, from Latin ipsum.

Article

so (feminine sa, masculine plural sos, feminine plural sas)

1. Alternative form of lo (rare)

Usage notes

• In the Provençal dialect, the masculine and feminine plural is sei.

Old Dutch

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *swā, from Proto-Germanic *swa.

Adverb

sō

1. so, like that, in that manner

Descendants

• Middle Dutch: sô
  • Dutch: zo
  • Limburgish: zoe, zoea

Further reading

• “sō (I)”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012

Old Irish

Alternative forms

• sa, se, sea, seo, siu

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *so (“this”), from Proto-Indo-European *só.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /so/

Determiner

so

1. this (used after the noun, which is preceded by the definite article)

   ind epistil so ― this epistle

Derived terms

• arse
• inso

 

Descendants

• Irish: seo
• Scottish Gaelic: seo
• Manx: shoh

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *swā, from Proto-Germanic *swa.

Adverb

sō

1. so, like that, in that manner

Pali

Alternative forms

Alternative forms

• 𑀲𑁄 (Brahmi script)
• सो (Devanagari script)
• সো (Bengali script)
• සො (Sinhalese script)
• သော or သေႃ (Burmese script)
• โส (Thai script)
• ᩈᩮᩣ (Tai Tham script)
• ໂສ (Lao script)
• សោ (Khmer script)
• 𑄥𑄮 (Chakma script)

Alternative forms

• sa (Latin script)
• 𑀲 (Brahmi script)
• स (Devanagari script)
• স (Bengali script)
• ස (Sinhalese script)
• သ (Burmese script)
• ส or สะ (Thai script)
• ᩈ (Tai Tham script)
• ສ or ສະ (Lao script)
• ស (Khmer script)
• 𑄥 (Chakma script)

Pronoun

so

1. he, it

Adjective

so

1. masculine nominative singular of ta (“that”)

Phalura

Etymology 1

From Sanskrit स ; सो (sa ; so, “nom.sg.masc pron. and pronom. adj. he, that”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /so/

Determiner

so (demonstrative, Perso-Arabic spelling سوۡ)

1. the
2. that (agr: rem nom masc)

References

• Liljegren, Henrik; Haider, Naseem (2011) Palula Vocabulary (FLI Language and Culture Series; 7)‎^[5], Islamabad, Pakistan: Forum for Language Initiatives, →ISBN
• Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985), “so”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /so/

Pronoun

so (demonstrative, Perso-Arabic spelling سوۡ)

1. it
2. he (rem masc nom)

References

• Liljegren, Henrik; Haider, Naseem (2011) Palula Vocabulary (FLI Language and Culture Series; 7)‎^[6], Islamabad, Pakistan: Forum for Language Initiatives, →ISBN

Rawa

Noun

so

1. grass

References

• Norma Toland, Donald Toland, Reference Grammar of the Karo/Rawa Language (1991)

Romagnol

Verb

so (Faenza)

1. first-person singular present indicative of ësar (“to be”)

Romani

Pronoun

so

1. what?

Rwanda-Rundi

Etymology

From Proto-Bantu *có.

Noun

só class 1a (plural bāsó class 2a)

1. your father
2. your paternal uncle

Serbo-Croatian

Alternative forms

• sȏl (Croatian)

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *solь, from Proto-Indo-European *seh₂ls.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sôː/

Noun

sȏ f (Cyrillic spelling со̑)

1. (Bosnia, Serbia) salt

Declension

Declension of so

	singular	plural
nominative	so / sol	soli
genitive	soli	soli
dative	soli	solima
accusative	so / sol	soli
vocative	soli	soli
locative	soli	solima
instrumental	solju / soli	solima

Slavomolisano

Etymology

From Serbo-Croatian so.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /so/

Noun

so m

1. salt

Declension

    declension of so (inan series-1b masc cons-stem)

	singular	plural
nominative	so	sola
genitive	sola	sol, soli
dative	solu	solami, soli
accusative	so	sola
locative	solu	sola
instrumental	solom, solam	solami, soli

References

• Walter Breu and Giovanni Piccoli (2000), Dizionario croato molisano di Acquaviva Collecroce: Dizionario plurilingue della lingua slava della minoranza di provenienza dalmata di Acquaviva Collecroce in Provincia di Campobasso (Parte grammaticale).

Slovak

Alternative forms

• s

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *sъ(n).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /zo/
• IPA^(key): (in connection with mnou) /so/

Preposition

so (+ instrumental)

1. with
   • 1903, Jozef Gregor Tajovský, Maco Mlieč :

     „Tak vy ste, Maco, celkom spokojný so službou a plácou?“

     “So, Maco, you are rather satisfied with the service and the wage, aren’t you?”

   Antonyms: bez, bezo

Usage notes

• The sylabic variant so is used when the next word begins with s, z, š or ž or with a consonant cluster containing one of these consonants. It is also used in connection with mnou (“me”). In all other cases, the variant s is used.

Further reading

• so in Slovak dictionaries at slovnik.juls.savba.sk

Slovene

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɔ́/

Verb

sȍ

1. third-person plural present of bíti

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈso/ [ˈso]
• Rhymes: -o
• Syllabification: so

Etymology 1

From Latin sub, from Proto-Italic *supo, from Proto-Indo-European *upo.

Preposition

so

1. (archaic) under

Usage notes

So is very rare in modern Spanish, surviving only in certain expressions, including so pena de (“on pain of, under penalty of”), so pretexto de or so color de (“under pretext of”), a so capa (“secretly, with bribery”).

Etymology 2

Contraction of señor (“Sir”).

Pronoun

so

1. (emphatic, derogatory) you

   • ¡So tonto! ― You blithering idiot!
   • ¡So borrachos! ― You bloody drunks!

Etymology 3

From English so.

Interjection

so

1. (US, Puerto Rico, El Salvador) so

Etymology 4

Interjection

so

1. whoa!

Further reading

• “so”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish sō (Old Icelandic/Norwegian sýr), from Old East Norse *sōʀ, from Proto-Germanic *sūz, from Proto-Indo-European *sū-. Compare the identical ko (Old Icelandic/Norwegian kýr, Old Swedish kō).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /suː/
• Homophone: zoo

Noun

so c

1. (rare) sow (female pig)

Usage notes

• The more common synonym is sugga, especially for the plural form.

Declension

Declension of so
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	so	son	sor	sorna
Genitive	sos	sons	sors	sornas

Synonyms

• sugga

Anagrams

• OS, os

Tok Pisin

Etymology 1

From English saw.

Noun

so

1. saw

Etymology 2

From English show.

Noun

so

1. show

Veps

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *soo.

Noun

so

1. swamp, marsh, bog

Inflection

Inflection of so (inflection type 13/ma)
nominative sing.	so
genitive sing.	son
partitive sing.	sod
partitive plur.	soid
	singular	plural
nominative	so	sod
accusative	son	sod
genitive	son	soiden
partitive	sod	soid
essive-instructive	son	soin
translative	soks	soikš
inessive	sos	soiš
elative	sospäi	soišpäi
illative	soho	soihe
adessive	sol	soil
ablative	solpäi	soilpäi
allative	sole	soile
abessive	sota	soita
comitative	sonke	soidenke
prolative	sodme	soidme
approximative I	sonno	soidenno
approximative II	sonnoks	soidennoks
egressive	sonnopäi	soidennopäi
terminative I	sohosai	soihesai
terminative II	solesai	soilesai
terminative III	sossai	—
additive I	sohopäi	soihepäi
additive II	solepäi	soilepäi

Derived terms

• sohein
• sokesk

References

• Zajceva, N. G.; Mullonen, M. I. (2007), “болото”, in Uz’ venä-vepsläine vajehnik / Novyj russko-vepsskij slovarʹ [New Russian–Veps Dictionary], Petrozavodsk: Periodika

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [sɔ˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʂɔ˧˧]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [ʂɔ˧˧] ~ [sɔ˧˧]

Etymology 1

Verb

so

1. (transitive) To compare.

   Synonym: so sánh

   So với bạn thì nó cao hơn. ― Compared to his friend, he is taller.

2. (transitive) To pair up.

   so đũa ― to pair up chopsticks

3. (intransitive) To straighten one's shoulders, as if to compare one's height to another's.

See also

• sánh

Derived terms

• so bì
• so đo
• so kè
• so sánh
• so tài

 

Etymology 2

Compare sơ (初, “first”).

Adjective

so

1. firstborn

   con so ― firstborn child

   chửa con so ― to be pregnant for the first time

   trứng gà so ― a chicken's first egg (usually a small egg)

Derived terms

• con so

Etymology 3

Noun

(classifier con) so

1. Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda, mangrove horseshoe crab

Volapük

Adverb

so

1. so

Welsh

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /soː/
• Rhymes: -oː

Verb

so (not mutable)

1. (South Wales) inflection of bod:
   1. second/third-person singular present negative colloquial
   2. first/second/third-person plural present negative colloquial

   So fe’n credu.

   He doesn’t think so.

Usage notes

Unlike other negative verb forms, this form—and sa, which is used for the first-person singular—is not complemented by ddim after the subject.

Xhosa

Pronoun

-so

1. Combining stem of sona.

Zulu

Pronoun

-so

1. Combining stem of sona.