Chinese Conversation · Level 13
90 words
Chinese word
因
Pronunciation
Pinyinyīn
Meaning
- prepositionbecause of
Example
因天气，比赛取消了。yīn tiān qì bǐ sài qǔ xiāo le
Because of the weather, the game was canceled.
More examples
他因病请假两天。tā yīn bìng qǐng jià liǎng tiān
He took two days off because of illness.
Core concept
A source that an event depends on, linking a reason to its result.
Common phrases
因病yīn bìng
because of illness
因故障yīn gù zhàng
because of a malfunction
Similar words
因为yīn wèi: Introduces a reason directly, especially in ordinary spoken explanations.
由于yóu yú: Introduces a cause or circumstance in formal written explanations.
出于chū yú: Introduces a thought, feeling, or motive as the cause of an action.
基于jī yú: Introduces the basis, standard, or standpoint behind an action or decision.
Definition in Chinese
作为介词表示原因，常用于句首或原因短语之前，引出导致某事的理由。zuò wéi jiè cí biǎo shì yuán yīn cháng yòng yú jù shǒu huò yuán yīn duán yǔ zhī qián yǐn chū dǎo zhì mǒu shì de lǐ yóu
Word origin
因 (yīn, "because of") also has the older sense of relying on or depending on, so its causal sense presents a result as depending on a reason.
Usage tips
- In everyday conversation, 因 (yīn, "because of") can sound formal, while 因为 (yīnwèi, "because") is usually the more natural choice for ordinary spoken explanations.