# How to Use 值此……之际 in Chinese | HSKReady Canonical: https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-7-9-fixed-patterns-g096 Language: en Content ID: web-grammar-hsk-7-9-g096 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 the fixed frame 值此……之际, what fits its occasion slot, its formal tone, and how it differs from 在……之际. Grammar [HSK 7-9 · Fixed patterns](https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-7-9#hsk-7-9-g096) # 值此……之际: Marking a Significant Occasion 值此……之际 is a formal frame used to place a statement at a significant occasion. Learn its fixed words, suitable occasion phrases, and register. 值此 occasion or significant phase 之际， main statement Example sentence 值此年度学术会议开幕之际，我谨代表主办方欢迎各位远道而来的学者。 Zhícǐ niándù xuéshù huìyì kāimù zhījì, wǒ jǐn dàibiǎo zhǔbànfāng huānyíng gèwèi yuǎndào ér lái de xuézhě. On the occasion of the opening of the annual academic conference, I welcome, on behalf of the organizers, all the scholars who have come from afar. Formal welcome at a public event. **Read the full explanation and examples** ## Meaning and communicative force 值此……之际 means “on this occasion of…” or “at this significant moment of…”. It locates the following statement at a named event, milestone, or important phase. The frame often gives a message a ceremonial or reflective opening: the speaker may welcome people, offer congratulations, express thanks, or comment on what the occasion calls for. It does more than give a calendar time; it presents the occasion as worthy of attention. The supplied outline lists this point under fixed formats at levels 7–9. That establishes the scope of this lesson, not which examination version a particular test centre currently administers. The expression is formal and often public-facing, but it is not restricted to official speeches. A carefully written personal message can use it when the occasion genuinely matters. Using it for an ordinary, unremarkable time can sound grand or ceremonious. ## Build the fixed frame The fixed words are 值此 at the start and 之际 after the occasion phrase; the comma normally separates this opening from the main clause. The first slot names the occasion or important phase. It can be a noun phrase, such as a meeting opening or an anniversary, or a longer phrase describing an event reaching a significant point. The second slot is a complete statement about what is happening, what the speaker wishes, or why the occasion matters. Keep the occasion phrase between 值此 and 之际. Do not insert an unrelated comment there. 值此 occasion or significant phase 之际， main statement - Occasion slot: name a meaningful event, milestone, or phase, for example a conference opening, an anniversary, or reconstruction reaching a critical stage. - Main-clause slot: state a relevant response, wish, observation, announcement, or evaluation. - The occasion should connect naturally to the following statement; the frame does not itself say that one event caused another. ## Examples in context 值此年度学术会议开幕之际，我谨代表主办方欢迎各位远道而来的学者。 Zhícǐ niándù xuéshù huìyì kāimù zhījì, wǒ jǐn dàibiǎo zhǔbànfāng huānyíng gèwèi yuǎndào ér lái de xuézhě. On the occasion of the opening of the annual academic conference, I welcome, on behalf of the organizers, all the scholars who have come from afar. Formal welcome at a public event. 值此两校建立合作关系十周年之际，双方决定进一步扩大联合研究的范围。 Zhícǐ liǎng xiào jiànlì hézuò guānxì shí zhōunián zhījì, shuāngfāng juédìng jìnyíbù kuòdà liánhé yánjiū de fànwéi. On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the partnership between the two educational institutions, both sides decided to expand the scope of their joint research. A milestone provides the occasion for an announcement. 值此灾后重建工作进入关键阶段之际，社会各界的持续支持尤为重要。 Zhícǐ zāihòu chóngjiàn gōngzuò jìnrù guānjiàn jiēduàn zhījì, shèhuì gèjiè de chíxù zhīchí yóuwéi zhòngyào. At this point, as post-disaster reconstruction enters a critical stage, continued support from all sectors of society is especially important. The named phase is significant and connected to the evaluation. 值此老校长荣休之际，校友们纷纷寄来贺信，表达敬意与祝福。 Zhícǐ lǎo xiàozhǎng róngxiū zhījì, xiàoyǒumen fēnfēn jì lái hèxìn, biǎodá jìngyì yǔ zhùfú. On the occasion of the senior principal’s retirement, alumni sent congratulatory letters expressing their respect and best wishes. A respectful commemorative context. ## Register and appropriate situations This frame is especially natural in opening remarks, anniversary messages, formal letters, commemorative writing, and public statements. Its tone draws attention to the occasion before moving to the message. In conversation among close friends, it may sound deliberately elevated; that can be effective for humor or mock formality, but it is not the everyday neutral way to say “when.” The examples show why the occasion matters: a conference opens, a partnership reaches a decade, recovery reaches a critical stage, or a respected principal retires. The frame remains grammatical across these contexts, while its appropriateness depends on the relationship between the occasion and the tone. - Prefer it when the occasion is significant enough to frame a message or considered observation. - Use a more ordinary time expression for routine actions that need no ceremonial emphasis. - Do not infer that the following clause must be a congratulation: it may express a welcome, concern, reflection, or practical statement, provided it fits the occasion. ## A useful contrast: 在……之际 在……之际 also places an event or action at a particular time or phase, but it is generally more neutral. It can introduce a practical event in progress or an approaching point without presenting it as an occasion for formal address. The contrast example says that a team checked its data near the end of a project. That is a straightforward time setting, so 在……之际 fits naturally. 值此……之际 could make the same sentence sound more ceremonious or emphasize the project milestone as an occasion. Neither frame is automatically incorrect; choose according to the intended tone and focus. 在 occasion or significant phase 之际， main statement 在项目即将收尾之际，团队重新核对了全部数据。 Zài xiàngmù jíjiāng shōuwěi zhījì, tuánduì chóngxīn héduì le quánbù shùjù. As the project was nearing completion, the team checked all the data again. 在……之际 gives a relatively neutral time setting. A practical choice: use 值此 when you want to present the named event as a significant occasion for the message; use 在 when you mainly need to locate an action or situation in time. This is a difference in typical emphasis, not an absolute rule. ## A quick decision process Before using the frame, ask three questions. First, can you name a specific event, milestone, or meaningful phase to place between 值此 and 之际? Second, does the following clause respond to or comment on that occasion? Third, does a formal or ceremonious tone suit the audience and purpose? If the first two answers are yes but the third is no, a neutral time expression such as 在……之际 may be a better fit. If the occasion is routine and no time emphasis is needed, choose a simpler expression instead. This check helps keep the frame purposeful rather than decorative. ## Frequently asked questions **Can the occasion slot contain a full clause?** It can contain a longer phrase that describes an event or phase reaching a point, as in reconstruction entering a critical stage. Keep that material as the occasion phrase before 之际, and make sure it connects naturally to the main clause. **Does 值此……之际 express cause?** No. It establishes an occasion or time setting. The relationship between the occasion and the main clause comes from their meanings and context; the frame alone does not state causation. **Is 值此……之际 only used in speeches?** No. It also suits formal letters and considered writing. In casual conversation it may sound elevated, so use it when that tone is intended. **Source**[hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com · PDF page 405](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=405) ## Continue in the app Full mock exams are available in HSKReady. [![Download on the App Store](https://hskready.app/download-on-app-store-black.svg)Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6791916440?l=en)[![Get it on Google Play](https://hskready.app/get-it-on-google-play.svg)Get it on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.curiolab.hskready&hl=en) [HSKReady App](https://hskready.app/en/app)