так што

So as a Result with Так Што

Level 4Sounds Like tak što

Так што means so in the sense of a result: Я ўжо паеў, так што не хачу есці. (I have already eaten, so I am not hungry.)

How It Works

Так што is a conjunction of result. It always introduces the consequence, never the cause, so it belongs at the start of the second clause:

Ішоў дождж, так што мы засталіся дома. (It was raining, so we stayed at home.)

Commas. A comma comes before так што, and there is no comma between так and што. The 2008 rules list так што among the compound conjunctions written as two separate words.

Так што versus так, што. When так means so much or in such a way, it belongs to the first clause and the comma comes after it: Ён так стаміўся, што адразу заснуў. (He was so tired that he fell asleep at once.) Here так describes how tired he was. In так што, the two words stand together and simply mean so, therefore.

Result, not purpose. English so can also mean so that, in order to. For purpose, Belarusian uses каб, not так што.

In conversation. Так што can also open a sentence to sum up: Так што, ідзём? (So, shall we go?) Similar words of result are таму and дык. For the cause itself, use бо or таму што.

Examples (5)

  1. Я ўжо паеў, так што не хачу есці.

    I have already eaten, so I am not hungry.

    Word by Word: I already ate, so that not want to-eat.

    Said by a man. A woman says: Я ўжо паела.

  2. Ішоў дождж, так што мы засталіся дома.

    It was raining, so we stayed at home.

    Word by Word: Was-going rain, so that we stayed at-home.

  3. Аўтобус спазніўся, так што я прыйшла на ўрок позна.

    The bus was late, so I got to the lesson late.

    Word by Word: Bus was-late, so that I came to lesson late.

  4. Заўтра выхадны, так што можна доўга спаць.

    Tomorrow is a day off, so we can sleep late.

    Word by Word: Tomorrow day-off, so that possible long to-sleep.

  5. Ён ужо ўсё ведае, так што можаш яму не расказваць.

    He already knows everything, so you do not have to tell him.

    Word by Word: He already everything knows, so that you-can to-him not tell.

Common Mistakes

  • Putting так што in front of the cause instead of the result.

    Так што ішоў дождж, мы засталіся дома.
    Ішоў дождж, так што мы засталіся дома.

    Так што introduces what follows from the first clause. Put it before the result, not before the reason.

  • Using так што with an infinitive to say in order to, because English so can mean so that.

    Я прыйшоў рана, так што дапамагчы табе.
    Я прыйшоў рана, каб дапамагчы табе.

    Так што introduces a result with its own verb, so it cannot take an infinitive of purpose. To say why you did something, use каб.

  • Leaving out the comma before так што.

    Я ўжо паеў так што не хачу есці.
    Я ўжо паеў, так што не хачу есці.

    The result clause is separated by a comma placed before так што.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

так штоLevel 4So as a Result with Так Што

Learn This First

So as a result follows таму.

Words in This Pattern