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HSK 5 Causal Complex Sentences: Drawing Conclusions with ……，可见……
In Chinese grammar, causal complex sentences do not only express how a cause produces an action; they also express how observable evidence leads a speaker to a logical deduction. The HSK 5 pattern ……，可见…… (..., kějiàn...) connects a known fact or phenomenon in the first clause to an inferred judgment or conclusion in the second clause.
这本书出版不到一个月就再版了三次，可见读者对它非常感兴趣。
The rapid reprinting is the observable fact; the readers' high interest is the logical conclusion drawn from that fact.
× 外面下起了大雨，可见我们决定推迟今天的比赛。
For the intended announcement, rain is the reason for deciding to postpone, so use 因此 or 所以. The problem is this intended relation, not a ban on conclusions about decisions: 可见 can introduce a decision inferred from suitable evidence.
Corrected example: 外面下起了大雨，因此我们决定推迟今天的比赛。
Read the full explanation and examples
1. Core Meaning: From Observable Evidence to Logical Deduction
In the HSK 5 syllabus, the pattern ……，可见…… is classified under causal complex sentences (因果复句). Unlike basic causal connectors that explain why an event happened, 可见 (kějiàn) literally means 'it is visible that' or 'from this, one can see that.' It marks an inferential relationship: the first clause presents an already established fact, observation, or piece of evidence, and the second clause states the speaker's judgment, realization, or logical deduction based on that evidence.
Because the speaker is reasoning backward or outward from an observed phenomenon, the second clause often reveals the underlying cause, the true nature of a situation, or the hidden degree of a quality. In English, it frequently translates to 'which shows that...', 'it is evident that...', or 'clearly...'.
这本书出版不到一个月就再版了三次，可见读者对它非常感兴趣。
The rapid reprinting is the observable fact; the readers' high interest is the logical conclusion drawn from that fact.
2. Sentence Structure and Common Collocations
For the basic pattern, state a basis and put 可见 before the conclusion. It is not a mechanical substitute for 所以 in a 因为……所以…… exercise. Larger sentences can contain 因为 inside an explanation that supplies evidence; identify which clause provides the basis and which is the inference.
调查显示，超过八成的受访者每天使用该软件，可见它已经深入人们的日常生活。
Formal register moving from statistical evidence to an analytical conclusion.
When speakers deduce the intensity or severity of a situation from an extreme detail, the clause after 可见 very frequently includes degree markers such as 多么 (duōme), 有多 (yǒu duō), or 非常 (fēicháng). Even when 多么 or 有多 appears, the clause functions as an emphatic statement of realization rather than a question asking for information.
事情已经过去十年了，他还能说出当时的每一个细节，可见这件事给他留下了多么深刻的印象。
Uses 多么 in the second clause to emphasize the degree of the deduced conclusion.
连平时最准时的张主任今天都迟到了，可见路上的交通有多堵。
An extreme case in the first clause (using 连……都……) serves as strong evidence for the deduction in the second clause.
3. Appropriate Situations and Register
Understanding when to choose ……，可见…… helps your Chinese sound natural and well-reasoned at the upper-intermediate level. Keep these pragmatic rules in mind:
- Register: It is common in written commentary, news analysis, essays, and thoughtful spoken discussions where a speaker evaluates facts.
- The first part must supply a relevant basis for the inference. It often reports an observation, but can also refer to an announced future arrangement or a premise assumed for the argument. State that status clearly; 可见 does not verify the premise.
- The second part is presented as a conclusion. Its content may concern a state, an action or a decision: for example, evidence may suggest that someone has decided to leave. Do not confuse that inference with announcing a new decision caused by the first event.
- Sentence type: The pattern forms declarative or exclamatory statements of realization. It is not used to form genuine information-seeking questions.
4. Contrast: Deductive 可见 vs. Direct Result Connectors
The most common learner error with ……，可见…… is treating it as a direct synonym for 'therefore' or 'so' (such as 所以 or 因此) when describing a practical decision or subsequent action. Remember the distinction between an event causing a new action and a fact proving a truth:
- Use ……，可见…… when Clause A is the clue or evidence, and Clause B is what you mentally deduce to be true.
- Use direct cause-and-effect connectors (like 所以 or 因此) when Clause A is the reason that triggers someone to make a decision or perform an action in Clause B.
× 外面下起了大雨，可见我们决定推迟今天的比赛。
For the intended announcement, rain is the reason for deciding to postpone, so use 因此 or 所以. The problem is this intended relation, not a ban on conclusions about decisions: 可见 can introduce a decision inferred from suitable evidence.
Corrected example: 外面下起了大雨，因此我们决定推迟今天的比赛。
外面下起了大雨，因此我们决定推迟今天的比赛。
Correct replacement for “外面下起了大雨，可见我们决定推迟今天的比赛。”: Uses 因此 to connect a real-world cause to a resulting decision.
In the pair above, heavy rain is the direct reason the speakers decided to postpone the match, not a clue from which the speakers deduced their own decision. If you instead observed that the players were all walking back to the locker room carrying dry equipment, you could use 可见 to deduce that the match had been postponed.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put 因为 at the beginning of the first clause when using ……，可见……?
For basic practice, give the evidence directly and then 可见 + your inference. Do not simply replace 所以 with 可见 in every 因为 sentence. But 因为 is not banned from a larger passage: 因为路上堵车，他迟到了，可见提前出门很重要 has an explanation followed by an inferential conclusion.
When the clause after 可见 contains 多么 or 有多, should the sentence end with a question mark?
No. Even though words like 有多 can form questions in other contexts, after 可见 they express an emphatic realization ('it shows just how...'). The sentence should end with a period or occasionally an exclamation mark.
