HSK 4
因此
yīncǐ
therefore
Structure
Cause/Reason + , + 因此 + Result
How it works
The conjunction '因此' (yīncǐ) is used in the second clause of a sentence to indicate a result or consequence of the preceding statement. It is a formal way to express 'therefore' or 'consequently', similar to '所以' but more common in written Chinese or formal speech.
Examples
他每天都坚持锻炼，因此身体非常好。
Tā měitiān dōu jiānchí duànliàn, yīncǐ shēntǐ fēicháng hǎo.
He insists on exercising every day; therefore, his health is very good.
这个地区很少下雨，因此草木难以生长。
Zhège dìqū hěn shǎo xiàyǔ, yīncǐ cǎomù nányǐ shēngzhǎng.
It rarely rains in this area; therefore, it is difficult for vegetation to grow.
他没有准时到场，因此错过了重要的会议。
Tā méiyǒu zhǔnshí dàochǎng, yīncǐ cuòguòle zhòngyào de huìyì.
He did not arrive on time; therefore, he missed the important meeting.
Common mistakes
Do not use '因为' and '因此' together in the same sentence segment (e.g., Avoid '因为...因此...'). '因此' already implies the causal link.
Tip
Think of '因此' as the written version of '所以'. If you are writing an essay or a formal report, replacing '所以' with '因此' will make your Chinese sound more academic and professional.
More HSK 4 grammar
See 因此 in real Chinese
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