So-called / what is called (所谓)

Structure 所谓 + term（definition / comment）

所谓 (suǒwèi) introduces a term either to define it or, very often, to quote it with distance or skepticism: "what is called…", "the so-called…". In its defining use it opens the explanation of a concept (所谓自由，并非为所欲为 = "what we call freedom is not doing whatever one pleases"). In its ironic use, with 的 (所谓的…), it puts mental quotation marks around the term and hints it doesn't deserve the name: 所谓的专家 = "the so-called experts". It belongs to the essay, the press and educated argument.

Examples

所suǒ谓wèi自zì由yóu，并bìng非fēi为wéi所suǒ欲yù为wéi。
What we call freedom is not doing whatever one pleases.
所suǒ谓wèi的de专zhuān家jiā未wèi必bì可kě靠kào。
The so-called experts are not necessarily reliable.
所suǒ谓wèi成chéng功gōng，因yīn人rén而ér异yì。
What is meant by success varies from person to person.
他tā口kǒu中zhōng所suǒ谓wèi的de朋péng友yǒu，其qí实shí只zhǐ是shì利lì益yì伙huǒ伴bàn。
The people he calls friends are in fact merely partners of convenience.

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