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所见所闻 (suǒ jiàn suǒ wén) — everything one sees and hears; one's observations and experiences

Definition

A chengyu meaning 'everything one sees and hears' — a fixed phrase used as a noun to refer to one's observations and experiences, often in writing or speech about travels and encounters.

idiom
everything one sees and hearsone's observations and experiences

Examples

  • 所见所闻。
    Tā bǎ zài lǚ tú zhōng de suǒ jiàn suǒ wén dōu jì le xià lái.
    He wrote down everything he saw and heard during the trip.
  • 所见所闻。
    Zhè běn shū jì zǎi le yí wèi wài guó rén zài zhōng guó de suǒ jiàn suǒ wén.
    This book records one foreigner's experiences in China.
  • 所见所闻。
    Tā de suǒ jiàn suǒ wén ràng tā duì dāng dì wén huà yǒu le shēn kè liǎo jiě.
    What he saw and heard gave him a deep understanding of the local culture.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

所见what one sees
所suǒwhat见jiànsee
主谓Subject + predicate
所闻what one hears
所suǒwhat闻wénhear
主谓Subject + predicate

所见 points to what one sees, and 所闻 to what one hears; together they cover one's observations and experiences.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
斤斤jīnaxe
Sound part声符shēngfú
戶
戶hù所suǒ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

所 pairs 斤, an axe, with 戶, which gives the sound hù; the old meaning was the sound of logging.

Open 所 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 見; 见 is its simplified writing.

  • 目目mùeye
  • 卩卩jiékneeling person

The traditional form 見 pairs 目 (eye) with 卩 (kneeling person), showing a kneeling figure with a large eye for a head. The simplified 见 is a later shorthand.

Open 见 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
斤斤jīnaxe
Sound part声符shēngfú
戶
戶hù所suǒ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

所 pairs 斤, an axe, with 戶, which gives the sound hù; the old meaning was the sound of logging.

Open 所 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 聞; 闻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
耳耳ěrear
Sound part声符shēngfú
門
門mén聞wén
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In the traditional form 聞, 門 supplies the sound and 耳 is an ear; this explanation is about 聞, not the simplified 闻.

Open 闻 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesSenses

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