Ch 25 · Lesson 9Mandarin · Chapter 25 · Lesson 9 · Grammar primer
因此 or 于是: therefore, or and then
Both translate as so. draws a conclusion (it follows that); tells what happened next (and then). A state after so takes .
The short version
，。Tiān hēi le, yúshì wǒmen huíjiā le.
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Both translate as 'so'. (yīncǐ) draws a conclusion: if 'it follows that' fits, use it. (yúshì) tells a story: if 'and then' fits, use it. A state such as (shēntǐ hěn hǎo), being fit, is a conclusion, so it takes (yīncǐ).
因此 (yīncǐ) or 于是 (yúshì)?
English "so" covers two jobs that Mandarin keeps apart. (yīncǐ), literally "because of this", draws a conclusion from a fact:
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，。 | Zhèlǐ kōngqì hěn gānjìng, yīncǐ hěn duō rén yuànyì zhù zài zhèlǐ. | The air is clean, so many want to live here |
，。 | Tā měitiān pǎobù, yīncǐ shēntǐ hěn hǎo. | He runs every day, so he's very fit |
(yúshì) tells a story: one event prompted the next.
| Hanzi | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
，。 | Tiān hēi le, yúshì wǒmen huíjiā le. | It got dark, so we went home |
，。 | Diànhuà méiyǒu rén jiē, yúshì wǒ zìjǐ qù le yí tàng. | Nobody answered, so I went round myself |
The test: if "and then" fits, use (yúshì); if "it follows that" fits, use (yīncǐ). needs an event or a change after it, so a plain state such as (shēntǐ hěn hǎo) takes ; a change is fine: (yúshì shēntǐ yuè lái yuè hǎo), and so he got fitter and fitter.
In a story is not wrong, just stiff: it makes going home sound like the end of an argument. In speech, (suǒyǐ) does both jobs.
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