In short
- Nature: determiner (sometimes classified as adverb or pronoun) that marks emphasis.
- Translation: “so,” “such,” or “such a / such an” depending on the context.
- Construction: always followed by a noun or a noun phrase (adjective + noun).
- Such vs such a: no article before a plural or uncountable noun; “a/an” before a singular countable noun.
- Such vs so: such precedes a noun, so precedes an adjective or adverb alone.
Such intensifies a noun or noun phrase, whereas its cousin so intensifies an adjective alone. This closeness in meaning explains the frequent confusion between the two words. This guide details the translation of such, its construction, and the rule that allows you to distinguish it from so without hesitation.
What does “such” mean in English?
Such is used to place emphasis on a noun or noun phrase, somewhat like very but applied to a noun rather than an adjective. It is translated depending on the context as “so,” “such,” or “such a / such an.”
- This was such a good movie! → This was a really good movie.
- Bob is such a talented actor. → Bob is such a talented actor.
- They faced such difficult challenges. → They faced such difficult challenges.
- I’ve never seen such a musician before. → I’ve never seen such a musician before.
Such before a singular countable noun: such a / such an
When the noun that follows is singular and countable, such is accompanied by an indefinite article: such a before a consonant, such an before a vowel. The word order always follows: such + a/an + adjective + noun.
- She is such a nice girl. → She is such a nice girl.
- He is such a bad boy. → He is such a bad boy.
- It was such an amazing trip. → It was such an amazing trip.
- You are such a professional. → You are such a professional.
Such without an article: plural and uncountable nouns
Before a plural noun or an uncountable noun, such is used without an article.
| Type of noun | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Plural | There are such nice guitars in this shop. | There are such nice guitars in this shop. |
| Plural | They made such a mess! (mess = uncountable here) | They made such a mess! |
| Uncountable | You’ve always had such talent. | You’ve always had such talent. |
| Uncountable | She has such patience! | She has such patience! |
The noun that follows such can therefore be alone (without an adjective): in such talent, no adjective is involved, but such remains correct because it directly precedes a noun, here an uncountable one.
Such vs so: the rule that decides
The most frequent confusion is between such and so. The rule is simple: if a noun follows, use such; if the adjective is alone, with no noun after it, use so.
| Situation | Correct word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adjective + noun | such | He is such a kind man. |
| Adjective alone | so | He is so kind. |
| Adjective + noun | such | She has such a beautiful face. |
| Adjective alone | so | She is so beautiful. |
So is not limited to this intensifier role: it also functions as a conjunction of consequence, as a tool for similarity (so am I), or as a discourse marker in spoken English. The details of all these uses can be found in the guide on so in English.
Such before a quantifier or a comparison
Such can also introduce an implicit comparison with as, or appear in fixed expressions related to quantity or quality.
- Such as → such as, like: fruits such as apples and pears (fruits such as apples and pears).
- As such → as such, per se: The plan wasn’t approved as such, but discussed.
- No such thing → no such thing / it doesn’t exist: There’s no such thing as a free lunch.
- Such and such → such and such: He always says he’ll arrive at such and such a time.
Idiomatic expressions with such
| Expression | Translation |
|---|---|
| such as | such as, like |
| as such | as such, per se |
| no such thing | no such thing, it doesn’t exist |
| such and such | such and such |
| such is life | such is life |
| in such a way that | in such a way that |
Practical exercise
Check your understanding of such and its difference from so:
1. Bill and Steve are ___ good friends of mine.
2. It was ___ amazing trip!
3. The food is ___ expensive in this restaurant.
4. Joe is ___ geek.
5. Which sentence correctly uses the expression “no such thing”?
6. You’ve always had ___ talent.
Your score
