HSK 2
因为……所以……
yīnwèi…… suǒyǐ……
because… so…
Structure
因为 + [Reason], 所以 + [Result]
How it works
This conjunction pair is used to express cause and effect. '因为' introduces the reason, while '所以' introduces the result. Unlike in English, where you rarely use 'because' and 'so' in the same sentence, in Chinese, they are frequently used together for clarity and emphasis.
Examples
因为下雨，所以我们没去跑步。
Yīnwèi xiàyǔ, suǒyǐ wǒmen méi qù pǎobù.
Because it rained, we didn't go running.
因为他生病了，所以没来学校。
Yīnwèi tā shēngbìng le, suǒyǐ méi lái xuéxiào.
Because he is sick, he didn't come to school.
因为今天很忙，所以我很累。
Yīnwèi jīntiān hěn máng, suǒyǐ wǒ hěn lèi.
Because I'm busy today, I am very tired.
Common mistakes
English speakers often forget that '所以' is needed even if '因为' is already used; in Chinese, using both makes the logical connection much stronger.
Tip
While you can sometimes drop '因为' or '所以' in casual speech, keeping both is the safest way to ensure your logic is clear at the HSK 2 level.
More HSK 2 grammar
See 因为……所以…… in real Chinese
Import an article and tap any sentence using it. The explanation comes back about the sentence in front of you, not a textbook example.
Try InputDojo free