Meaning of 因此
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- thus; consequently; as a result
How to use 因此
因此 links a cause to its result. It usually starts the second clause or sentence and sounds a bit more formal than 所以 (suǒyǐ). Example: 他生病了，因此没来上课。(Tā shēngbìng le, yīncǐ méi lái shàngkè.) He was sick, so he did not come to class.
因 (yīn) means cause, as in 因为 (yīnwèi), and 此 (cǐ) means this, as in 如此 (rúcǐ). So 因此 is literally "because of this," which gives you "therefore" or "as a result."
Common mistake: Learners often write 因为……因此 by analogy with 因为……所以. The standard pairing is 因为……所以, and 因此 normally stands alone without 因为 in front. Also keep 此 (cǐ) apart from 从此 (cóngcǐ), which means "from then on," not "therefore."
因此 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
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此 cǐ · this · 6 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 因此.
| 因为 | yīnwèi | because; owing to; on account of |
| 原因 | yuányīn | cause; origin |
| 从此 | cóngcǐ | from now on; since then |
| 此外 | cǐwài | besides; in addition; moreover; furthermore |
| 如此 | rúcǐ | like this; so; such |
| 彼此 | bǐcǐ | each other; one another |
| 此刻 | cǐkè | this moment; now |
| 此时 | cǐshí | now; this moment |
| 由此 | yóu cǐ | hereby; from this |
| 因而 | yīn'ér | therefore; as a result |
| 此后 | cǐhòu | after this; afterwards |
| 为此 | wèicǐ | for this reason; with regards to this |
Questions about 因此
What does 因此 mean?
因此 (yīncǐ) means "thus; consequently; as a result" and is used as a conjunction.
How do you write 因此?
因此 is made of 2 characters: 因 (6 strokes), 此 (6 strokes). That is 12 strokes in total.
Is 因此 an HSK word?
Yes. 因此 is on the HSK 3 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 is more common in everyday speech and pairs naturally with 因为. 因此 sounds more formal and is frequent in writing, news, and essays.
Can 因此 come after the subject?
Yes. You can say 我们因此决定取消比赛 (wǒmen yīncǐ juédìng qǔxiāo bǐsài), "We therefore decided to cancel the match." 所以 usually cannot move after the subject like this.