# Chinese Cause and Result: How to Use （因）……，故…… | HSKReady Canonical: https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-7-9-cause-and-effect-g112 Language: en Content ID: web-grammar-hsk-7-9-g112 HSK levels: 7-9 Updated: 2026-10-23T04:57:43.648Z Scope: published website educational content; full vocabulary, question bank and mock exams remain in the app. Learn how 因 and 故 connect a stated cause with its resulting decision, condition, or event in formal Chinese. Grammar [HSK 7-9 · Sentence types › Single-level complex sentences › Cause and effect](https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-7-9#hsk-7-9-g112) # Cause and Result with （因）……，故…… Use （因）……，故…… to present a reason and then its consequence. The pattern has a formal, often written tone, and makes the logical link explicit. （因） Reason phrase or clause ，故 result clause Example sentence 因设备临时故障，故研讨会推迟到下周举行。 Yīn shèbèi línshí gùzhàng, gù yántǎohuì tuīchí dào xià zhōu jǔxíng. Because of a temporary equipment failure, the workshop has been postponed until next week. Cause: the equipment failure. Result: postponing the workshop. **Read the full explanation and examples** ## Meaning and use This pattern means “because …, therefore …” or, more naturally in many English sentences, “because …, ….” The first clause gives the cause; the second gives a consequence that follows from it. The cause should explain or motivate the result, rather than simply occur at the same time. The outline lists this as the cause-result pattern （因）……，故…… for the 7–9 level. That identifies syllabus scope and level; it does not establish which exam version is currently administered at any test centre. 因 introduces the reason, while 故 introduces the consequence. Together they make the relationship clear and give the sentence a formal, reasoned tone. You are likely to meet this wording in reports, notices, explanations, and carefully organized argument. In everyday conversation, speakers often choose a less formal way to say “because,” so use this pattern when its written or formal register suits the situation. （因） Reason phrase or clause ，故 result clause ## Build the sentence Put the reason after 因 and the consequence after 故. The reason can be a phrase, as in 因时间关系 (“because of time constraints”), or a clause. The result states the consequence or decision; subjects may differ or be omitted when clear. A comma commonly separates the parts. 因 is optional in the listed frame: 数据尚未核实，故报告暂不对外发布 directly states the reason first, then uses 故 for the result. - Choose a cause that directly explains the stated result. - Make the result specific enough for the reader to see the connection. - Use 故 before the consequence, not before the reason. - Prefer 因……，故…… when you want an explicit, formal link; do not use it merely to join unrelated observations. ## Examples in context 因设备临时故障，故研讨会推迟到下周举行。 Yīn shèbèi línshí gùzhàng, gù yántǎohuì tuīchí dào xià zhōu jǔxíng. Because of a temporary equipment failure, the workshop has been postponed until next week. Cause: the equipment failure. Result: postponing the workshop. 因调查对象的构成发生变化，故研究团队重新调整了抽样方案。 Yīn diàochá duìxiàng de gòuchéng fāshēng biànhuà, gù yánjiū tuánduì chóngxīn tiáozhěng le chōuyàng fāng'àn. Because the make-up of the people being surveyed changed, the research team revised its sampling plan. The change in the surveyed population is the reason for revising the plan. 因合同条款仍有几处表述不清，故双方暂未签字。 Yīn hétong tiáokuǎn réng yǒu jǐ chù biǎoshù bù qīng, gù shuāngfāng zàn wèi qiānzì. Because several clauses in the contract are still unclear, neither party has signed it yet. 故 marks the result; English can express the connection without translating it as a separate “therefore.” 因山路夜间照明不足，故管理部门决定天黑后暂时封闭该路段。 Yīn shānlù yèjiān zhàomíng bùzú, gù guǎnlǐ bùmén juédìng tiānhēi hòu zànshí fēngbì gāi lùduàn. Because the mountain road has insufficient lighting at night, the authorities have decided to close that section temporarily after dark. The stated safety condition motivates the management decision. ## A useful contrast Compare an explicit cause-result sentence with two facts that happen to appear together. Saying that a report is delayed because its data have not been checked explains the delay. Saying that the data are unchecked and the office is quiet does not, by itself, establish a cause-result relation. In the latter case, adding 故 would suggest a logical link the context may not support. The choice is about meaning and context, not about treating a different sentence as ungrammatical. 数据尚未核实，故报告暂不对外发布。 Shùjù shàng wèi héshí, gù bàogào zàn bù duìwài fābù. Because the data have not yet been verified, the report will not be released publicly for now. This version omits 因. The reason is still stated first, and 故 explicitly introduces the result. Do not assume 因 and 故 are interchangeable markers placed anywhere in a sentence. Keep the reason first and 故 with the result. If you omit 因, retain a clear reason-result relationship in context. ## Frequently asked questions **Can I leave out 因?** Yes. The outline writes （因）……，故……, with 因 in parentheses. You may omit it when the cause is still clear, but keep the reason before the result introduced by 故. **Is this the usual choice in casual conversation?** It is more formal and often more at home in writing than in casual speech. Choose it when you want a clear, formal cause-result connection. **Can this pattern form a question?** The listed pattern presents a cause and a result; it is not itself a question form. A speaker can ask about either clause by adding a question appropriate to the situation, but that use is outside this outline point. **Source**[hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com · PDF page 406](https://hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com/3.0/%E6%96%B0%E7%89%88HSK%E8%80%83%E8%AF%95%E5%A4%A7%E7%BA%B21219.pdf#page=406) ## Continue in the app Full mock exams are available in HSKReady. 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