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Using 于是 to Show a Resulting Response
Learn the HSK 4 pattern 于是 to connect an earlier event or situation with a response or consequence that follows from it.
雨下得很大，于是我们取消了露天活动。
于是 presents canceling the event as the consequence of the heavy rain.
Read the full explanation and examples
Meaning and use
于是 (yúshì) connects an earlier event or situation with what followed from it, often a response, decision or new circumstance. English may use “so” or “as a result.” The outline groups it under sequential compound sentences (承接复句); in this use, the sequence also presents a resulting development.
Use 于是 when you want readers to follow the development from one event to what happened next as a consequence. It is common in narration and explanations of a sequence of events. The link need not describe an immediate result: the second event can follow after some time, provided the connection remains clear.
How to form the pattern
Introduce the resulting clause with 于是, commonly after a comma and before its subject. A shared subject can remain understood, as in 她发现地址写错了，于是马上给客户打电话. Make the situation-to-response connection clear; the word does not by itself prove that every such situation must cause the same result.
- First clause: give the event or situation that sets up the result.
- 于是: introduce the resulting development.
- Second clause: state what followed, changed, or was decided.
Examples in context
雨下得很大，于是我们取消了露天活动。
于是 presents canceling the event as the consequence of the heavy rain.
她发现地址写错了，于是马上给客户打电话。
The second clause describes her response to what she discovered.
地铁临时停运，于是很多乘客改坐公交车。
The change in transport follows from the service disruption.
会议提前结束了，于是我有时间去图书馆。
The earlier finish led to a new opportunity.
店里没有合适的尺寸，于是他决定网上订购。
The decision follows from the lack of a suitable size in the shop.
The first example shows a practical consequence; the second and fifth show a response or decision. In the third, a service disruption leads to a change in travel plans. In the fourth, the consequence is a new opportunity. In each case, the second clause grows naturally out of the first.
A useful contrast: 于是 and 所以
所以 (suǒyǐ) also introduces a result, and many cause-and-result sentences can use either word. The emphasis differs: 所以 commonly presents the logical conclusion or result of the first clause, while 于是 often highlights what then happened or what someone did in response. Compare the focus before choosing. This is a difference in emphasis, not a rule that makes one connector automatically incorrect.
Frequently asked questions
Must the result happen immediately?
No. 于是 can introduce a later response or consequence when the link to the first clause is clear.
Can I replace 于是 with 所以?
Sometimes. Both can mark a result, but 于是 often foregrounds what happened next or a response, while 所以 often foregrounds a conclusion. Choose according to the context and intended emphasis.
Is 于是 used to form a question?
The pattern is commonly used to connect events in statements. A question can include a clause introduced by 于是 when the speaker asks about the resulting event, but 于是 itself does not make a sentence a question.
