Because in Chinese: 因为 (Yīnwèi), 所以, and 5 Other Ways to Give a Reason

沉浸 TeamOctober 15, 20265 min read

Because in Chinese is 因为 (yīnwèi). You put it at the start of the reason, and then you usually add 所以 (suǒyǐ, "so") at the start of the result: 因为下雨，所以我没去 (yīnwèi xiàyǔ, suǒyǐ wǒ méi qù), "Because it rained, I didn't go." That's the pattern you'll use nine times out of ten.

The surprise for English speakers is that Chinese likes to say both halves. "Because... so..." sounds redundant in English and sounds complete in Chinese. This guide covers 因为…所以, the other five ways to give a reason, how to ask "why", and the mistakes beginners make, as part of our essential Chinese phrases guide.

How to say and write because in Chinese

Characters: 因为
Pinyin: yīnwèi (first tone, then fourth tone). You'll also hear yīnwéi, with a second tone on 为, from some speakers and in older books; both are understood everywhere.
Traditional: 因為

因 (yīn) means "cause" or "reason", the same 因 in 原因 (yuányīn, "reason"). 为 (wèi) means "for". So 因为 is literally "for the reason of". If you want to practice writing it, our free character practice sheets print a stroke-order grid for 因为 and 所以 together.

The 因为…所以 pattern

This is the sentence shape to memorize. Reason first, result second, and a connector at the front of each:

因为我很累，所以我想睡觉。 (Yīnwèi wǒ hěn 累, suǒyǐ wǒ xiǎng shuìjiào.) Because I'm tired, I want to sleep.
因为他是中国人，所以他会说中文。 (Yīnwèi tā shì Zhōngguó rén, suǒyǐ tā huì shuō Zhōngwén.) He's Chinese, so he speaks Chinese.
因为太贵了，所以我没买。 (Yīnwèi tài 贵 le, suǒyǐ wǒ méi mǎi.) It was too expensive, so I didn't buy it.

Three things to notice:

The reason comes first. English can go either way ("I didn't go because it rained"). Chinese strongly prefers cause before effect.
Both words can appear together. Don't "fix" this. 因为…所以 is the standard, natural, textbook form.
Either one can be dropped. 因为下雨，我没去 is fine. 下雨了，所以我没去 is fine. Dropping both (下雨，我没去) works in casual speech, where the listener fills in the logic.

Our grammar lesson on cause and result goes deeper into which half to drop and when.

Can 因为 go second, like English "because"?

Yes, in speech. 我没去，因为下雨了 (wǒ méi qù, yīnwèi xiàyǔ le), "I didn't go, because it rained," is common when you state the result and then explain. It sounds like an afterthought, which is often exactly what you want. In writing and in anything formal, lead with 因为.

因为 + a noun: "because of"

因为 can also sit in front of a noun, where English would say "because of":

因为天气，飞机晚点了。 (Yīnwèi tiānqì, fēijī wǎndiǎn le.) Because of the weather, the flight was delayed.
因为你，我开始学中文。 (Yīnwèi nǐ, wǒ kāishǐ xué Zhōngwén.) Because of you, I started learning Chinese.

The same word does both jobs, so you don't need to learn a separate "because of".

5 other ways to give a reason

Once 因为 is solid, these cover the rest of the range, from formal writing to "well, since you asked":

由于 (yóuyú): due to, owing to. The formal cousin of 因为, common in news and reports. 由于天气原因，航班取消了 (yóuyú tiānqì yuányīn, hángbān qǔxiāo le), "Due to weather, the flight was cancelled."
因此 (yīncǐ): therefore, for this reason. Starts the result clause in writing, where 所以 would feel chatty. 他很努力，因此成功了 (tā hěn nǔlì, yīncǐ chénggōng le), "He worked hard, and therefore succeeded."
既然…就 (jìrán… jiù): since, given that. For reasons both people already know. 既然你来了，就坐一会儿吧 (jìrán nǐ lái le, jiù zuò yíhuìr ba), "Since you're here, sit for a bit."
之所以…是因为 (zhī suǒyǐ… shì yīnwèi): the reason X is that Y. Flips the order to put the result first, for emphasis. 我之所以学中文，是因为我喜欢中国电影 (wǒ zhī suǒyǐ xué Zhōngwén, shì yīnwèi wǒ xǐhuan Zhōngguó diànyǐng), "The reason I study Chinese is that I like Chinese films."
为了 (wèile): in order to. Careful: this is a purpose, not a reason. 为了健康，我每天跑步 (wèile jiànkāng, wǒ měitiān pǎobù), "For my health, I run every day." Our lesson on purpose with 为了 explains the difference from 因为.

How to ask "why" in Chinese

"Why" is 为什么 (wèishénme), literally "for what". It goes where the answer would go, usually after the subject:

你为什么学中文？ (Nǐ wèishénme xué Zhōngwén?) Why do you study Chinese?
因为我想去中国。 (Yīnwèi wǒ xiǎng qù Zhōngguó.) Because I want to go to China.

Notice the answer starts with 因为 and never needs 所以, since the question already supplied the result. A shorter "why?" on its own is 为什么？ or the casual 干嘛？ (gànmá). Our guide to Chinese question words covers 为什么, 怎么 and the rest.

3 mistakes to avoid

Putting 所以 where 因为 goes. 所以 starts the result, never the reason. "I'm happy because it's sunny" is 因为天气好，所以我很高兴, not 所以天气好.
Using 为了 for a reason. 为了 looks ahead to a goal. 因为 looks back at a cause. "I stayed home because I was sick" needs 因为, not 为了.
Forgetting the tone on 为. In 因为 it's fourth tone (wèi). The second-tone wéi is a different word meaning "to be" or "to act as". If the tones trip you up, paste the sentence into our Chinese to pinyin converter to see the marks.

Want to hear 因为…所以 in a real sentence instead of a textbook one? A free Chenjin account lets you read graded stories where every 因为 is one tap from its meaning and audio, and save the ones you want to review. Sign up free to try it.

FAQ

How do you say because in Mandarin?

因为 (yīnwèi). Put it at the start of the reason, and usually add 所以 (suǒyǐ, "so") at the start of the result: 因为下雨，所以我没去, "Because it rained, I didn't go."

Do you have to use 所以 with 因为?

No, but it's the most natural form. You can drop either word. What you can't do is put 所以 in front of the reason.

What does yin wei mean?

因为 (yīnwèi) means "because" or "because of". 因 is "cause" and 为 is "for".

What's the difference between 因为 and 由于?

Same meaning, different register. 因为 is everyday speech. 由于 (yóuyú) is formal and written, common in news and announcements.

How do you say "so" in Chinese?

所以 (suǒyǐ) for "so" meaning "therefore". For "so" meaning "very", as in "so hot", use 很 (hěn), 太 (tài) or 那么 (nàme) instead.