# 这样一来 (zhèyàng yī lái) HSK 7-9 Discourse Marker Guide | HSKReady Canonical: https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-7-9-discourse-markers-g060 Language: en Content ID: web-grammar-hsk-7-9-g060 HSK levels: 7-9 Updated: 2026-10-23T04:57:33.779Z Scope: published website educational content; full vocabulary, question bank and mock exams remain in the app. Learn how to use the Chinese fixed phrase and discourse marker 这样一来 (zhèyàng yī lái) at HSK 7-9 level to connect an action or change to its practical outcome. Grammar [HSK 7-9 · Phrases › Fixed phrases › Discourse markers](https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-7-9#hsk-7-9-g060) # HSK 7-9 Discourse Marker 这样一来 (zhèyàng yī lái): Explaining Consequences of a New Situation In advanced Chinese, 这样一来 (zhèyàng yī lái) is a fixed discourse marker meaning 'as a result of this' or 'once this happens'. Listed under fixed phrases in the HSK 7-9 outline, it bridges a specific change, action, or proposal to the new situation or chain reaction that follows. prior action, change, or proposal ， 这样一来 ， resulting situation or consequence Example sentence 公司把审批流程全部改成了线上操作，这样一来，报销周期缩短了一大半。 Gōngsī bǎ shěnpī liúchéng quánbù gǎichéng le xiànshàng cāozuò, zhèyàng yī lái, bàoxiāo zhōuqī suōduǎn le yīdàbàn. The company switched the entire approval process to online operations; as a result of this, the reimbursement cycle has been cut by more than half. Shows 这样一来 connecting a specific operational reform to its measurable positive effect. **Read the full explanation and examples** ## Core Meaning and Pragmatic Function In the official HSK 7-9 syllabus, 这样一来 is categorized under fixed phrases (固定短语) functioning as a discourse marker (话语标记). Rather than acting as a simple grammatical conjunction, it serves to organize the flow of thought in extended speech or writing. Literally combining 这样 (like this / in this way) with 一来 (once it comes about), the phrase translates naturally into English as 'as a result of this', 'in this way', 'consequently', or 'with this development'. 这样一来 gathers up the preceding situation and presents what follows from it. A changed plan or proposed measure is a useful teaching context, but a newly occurring event is not an absolute requirement. A described state of affairs, a combination of circumstances or a way of interpreting something can also supply the reference. The phrase frames a consequence; it does not prove the causal claim or assert that a proposed result has already happened. 公司把审批流程全部改成了线上操作，这样一来，报销周期缩短了一大半。 Gōngsī bǎ shěnpī liúchéng quánbù gǎichéng le xiànshàng cāozuò, zhèyàng yī lái, bàoxiāo zhōuqī suōduǎn le yīdàbàn. The company switched the entire approval process to online operations; as a result of this, the reimbursement cycle has been cut by more than half. Shows 这样一来 connecting a specific operational reform to its measurable positive effect. ## Discourse Position and Punctuation Because 这样一来 is a fixed expression, you should treat it as an inseparable four-character unit rather than trying to modify its internal parts. In discourse, it stands at the boundary between the cause (the action or change) and the effect (the resulting state). It may appear after a comma to link two clauses within a single sentence, or at the very beginning of a new sentence after a full stop when summarizing a complex multi-clause development. prior action, change, or proposal ， 这样一来 ， resulting situation or consequence After 这样一来, speakers almost always pause—marked by a comma in writing—before stating the result. The resulting clause frequently contains adverbs or correlative patterns that highlight the nature of the outcome, such as 就 (then/consequently), 既……又…… (both... and...), or 不仅……也…… (not only... but also...). 市政府在老城区增设了多条微循环公交线路。这样一来，不仅缓解了主干道的拥堵，也方便了老年居民日常出行。 Shìzhèngfǔ zài lǎochéngqū zēngshè le duō tiáo wēixúnhuán gōngjiāo xiànlù. Zhèyàng yī lái, bùjǐn huǎnjiě le zhǔgàndào de yōngdǔ, yě fāngbiàn le lǎonián jūmín rìcháng chūxíng. The municipal government added several micro-circulation bus routes in the old town. In this way, it not only eased congestion on the main roads, but also made daily travel more convenient for elderly residents. Demonstrates 这样一来 starting a new sentence after a period and leading into a 不仅……也…… structure. ## Register and Typical Situations 这样一来 bridges spoken and written registers smoothly. It is slightly more analytical and cohesive than everyday casual connectors, yet less stiff than purely classical or bureaucratic markers. You will encounter it regularly in workplace discussions, policy commentary, news analysis, project proposals, and problem-solving narratives. - Evaluating a proposal: Projecting the practical benefits that will follow if a suggested plan is adopted. - Explaining a chain reaction: Tracing how an unexpected change (such as a personnel shift or budget cut) creates a new dilemma. - Summarizing institutional or social adjustments: Showing how a new regulation or technological upgrade alters daily operations. The phrase does not itself select a good or bad outcome. It can introduce a useful solution or an unwelcome complication. Attitude is conveyed by the wider context, word choice and intonation; there is no requirement to deliver it in an emotionally neutral voice. 核心技术人员临时被调往其他项目，这样一来，我们原定的测试计划就不得不推迟了。 Héxīn jìshù rényuán línshí bèi diàowǎng qítā xiàngmù, zhèyàng yī lái, wǒmen yuándìng de cèshì jìhuà jiù bùdébù tuīchí le. Key technical staff were temporarily transferred to another project; consequently, our originally scheduled testing plan had to be postponed. Illustrates 这样一来 introducing an inconvenient chain reaction triggered by a sudden change, paired with 就 in the result clause. 我们可以把闲置的仓库租给周边的电商团队，这样一来，既盘活了固定资产，又能增加一笔稳定的收入。 Wǒmen kěyǐ bǎ xiánzhì de cāngkù zūgěi zhōubiān de diànshāng tuánduì, zhèyàng yī lái, jì pánhuó le gùdìng zīchǎn, yòu néng zēngjiā yī bǐ wěndìng de shōurù. We can rent out the idle warehouse to nearby e-commerce teams; by doing so, we both revitalize our fixed assets and add a steady stream of income. Used in a proposal context to project how a suggested measure will yield dual benefits (既……又……). ## Useful Contrasts: 这样一来 vs. 因此, 所以, and 这么一来 Advanced learners often wonder when to choose 这样一来 over standard causal connectors like 所以 (suǒyǐ) or 因此 (yīncǐ). While all three connect cause and effect, they differ in how they frame the preceding context. - 因此 and 所以 are broad causal or inferential connectors. 这样一来 foregrounds the consequence of the situation just described—roughly “with things being this way”. It often follows a practical change or proposal, but do not reject it solely because the antecedent is a state rather than an action. The discourse connection and intended perspective matter. - 这样一来 vs. 这么一来: In spoken Mandarin, 这么一来 (zhème yī lái) has virtually the same meaning and discourse function, using 这么 instead of 这样. However, 这么一来 leans noticeably more colloquial, whereas 这样一来 is the standard form explicitly listed in the HSK 7-9 outline and fits both formal writing and articulate speech. 该地区常年降水量不足，因此农业发展高度依赖节水灌溉技术。 Gāi dìqū chángnián jiàngshuǐliàng bùzú, yīncǐ nóngyè fāzhǎn gāodù yīlài jiéshuǐ guàngài jìshù. Annual precipitation in this region is perennially insufficient; therefore, agricultural development relies heavily on water-saving irrigation technology. 因此 gives a direct explanation of the region’s reliance on irrigation. 这样一来 would foreground a consequence of a previously described situation; whether it fits depends on that wider framing, not a rule excluding geographical facts. Ask what 这样 points to and what consequence the next clause draws. A concrete plan or change is an easy starting context. For a detached statement of general cause and effect, 因此 or 所以 may be more direct, without making a state-based antecedent automatically ungrammatical. ## Frequently asked questions **Can I insert other words inside 这样一来, or change 一来 to something else?** For this fixed marker, keep 这样一来 together; changing 一 to another numeral does not preserve this meaning. A common conversational counterpart is 这么一来, and 如此一来 is a related, often more written expression. Those are alternatives rather than arbitrary insertions into the target phrase. **Can 这样一来 be used at the very beginning of a conversation or paragraph without prior context?** It needs an identifiable situation to refer to. That context may have been stated in an earlier sentence or supplied by a shared arrangement or demonstration. It can start a new sentence or paragraph when the reference is clear; no newly occurring event is required merely by its position. **Does 这样一来 imply a good result or a bad result?** Neither by default. It simply frames the following clause as the new reality produced by the preceding change. It is equally natural when celebrating a streamlined workflow or when explaining how a sudden cancellation disrupted your plans. **Source**[hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com · PDF page 404](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=404) ## Continue in the app Full mock exams are available in HSKReady. 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