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liánhéSide by side

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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