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WHAT DOES “SO AS TO” MEAN? LOOKING AT CONVERSATION EXAMPLES WITH “SO AS TO”
One of the most common idioms used in everyday conversation and writing is “so as to.” Here you will find information on the meaning of this expression and its origin. There are also examples of how to use this phrase correctly in conversations/statements, as well as alternative suggestions that can be used instead to convey the same meaning.
So As To: What is its definition?
The idiom “so as to” means to perform some kind of action that affects an object or a person.
Example: “I always place fruit in the fridge so as to keep it fresh.” (This person means that the purpose of his action “place fruit in the fridge” was to “keep it fresh.”)
Origin of “So as to”
The origin of the phrase “so as to” is unknown. There is no information on the source of this widely used expression. However, in most cases, this expression can be reduced to just “to.” The use of this phrase in sentences and conversations is considered lengthy.
Examples for “So as to” in sentences and conversations
Sentence examples
1.Precious words of wisdom from a writer
“Man’s dearest possession is life. It is given to him but once, and he must live it so as to feel no torturing regrets for wasted years, never know the burning shame of a mean and petty past; so live that, dying, he might say: all my life, all my strength were given to the finest cause in all the world–the fight for the Liberation of Mankind.”
2. Other famous sayings with “so as to”
- “If we cannot live so as to be happy, let us at least live so as to deserve it.”
- “If the truth can be told so as to be understood, it will be believed.”
- “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”
- “We must be willing to let go of the life that we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”
- “Strong people alone know how to organize their suffering so as to bear the most necessary pain.”
Conversation examples
Example 1: A conversation between two colleagues
Colleague 1: Hey, why did you come to the office so early?
Colleague 2: I needed to go out at 6 a.m so as to avoid rush hours.
Colleague 1: Poor you. I suffer from traffic jams every day, too.
Colleague 2: So try to get up a little earlier.
(In this example, two co-workers are talking about the time that they arrived at the office. Colleague 1 wondered about the reason why colleague 2 arrived too early at the office. Colleague 2 explained the purpose of his action was to avoid the congested hours.)
Example 2: Two friends’ online conversation
Friend A: Wanna hang out tonight at the movies?
Friend B: Sounds good. What time do I see you there?
Friend A: How about 6 p.m?
Friend B: Is that too early?
Friend A: We had better be early so as to have good seats.
(In this example, two friends were planning for a night out. Friend A wanted to arrive early to get the good seats in the movie theater.)
Similar expressions to use instead of “So as to”
As mentioned above, you can always use “to” instead of “so as to”. However, if you are a fan of idiomatic expressions, consider the following alternatives to “so as to”:
- so that
- in order to
- with a view to
- with the purpose of
