Meaning of 因
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- cause
- reason
- because
- old variant of 因[yin1]
How to use 因
On its own, 因 is formal and written, often meaning "because of" before a noun, as in news or notices. In everyday speech people use 因为 (yīnwèi) instead. Example: 比赛因雨取消。 (Bǐsài yīn yǔ qǔxiāo.) The game was canceled because of rain.
Picture 因 as a person 大 (dà) lying inside an enclosure 囗. Someone is stuck in a box for a reason, so the shape reminds you of a cause or reason.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 因 with 困 (kùn, sleepy or trapped), which has 木 inside the box instead of 大. Another trap is using bare 因 in casual speech, where 因为 sounds far more natural.
因 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
因 yīn · cause · 6 strokes
- 1
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- 3
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- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 因.
| 因为 | yīnwèi | because; owing to; on account of |
| 原因 | yuányīn | cause; origin |
| 因此 | yīncǐ | thus; consequently; as a result |
| 因而 | yīn'ér | therefore; as a result |
| 因素 | yīnsù | element; factor |
| 基因 | jīyīn | gene (loanword) |
| 因人而异 | yīnrén'éryì | varying from person to person (idiom); different for each individual |
| 可卡因 | kěkǎyīn | cocaine (loanword) |
| 死因 | sǐyīn | cause of death |
| 海洛因 | hǎiluòyīn | (loanword) heroin |
| 咖啡因 | kāfēiyīn | caffeine (loanword) |
| 起因 | qǐyīn | cause; a factor (leading to an effect) |
Questions about 因
What does 因 mean?
因 (yīn) means "cause; reason" and is used as a preposition and conjunction.
How do you write 因?
因 is made of 1 character: 因 (6 strokes). That is 6 strokes in total.
Is 因 an HSK word?
Yes. 因 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 因此 and 所以?
Both mean "so" or "therefore." 所以 (suǒyǐ) is common in speech and often pairs with 因为, while 因此 (yīncǐ) is more formal and usually starts a new clause in writing.
Why does 基因 mean gene?
基因 (jīyīn) is a loanword that imitates the sound of the English word "gene." The characters were also chosen for fitting meanings: 基 means base and 因 means cause.