How Chinese Connectives Work (Overview) | Chinese (Mandarin) Grammar

English hands you one connector per relationship and forbids doubling: you say "Because it rained, we stayed home" or "It rained, so we stayed home," but never "Because it rained, so we stayed home." Chinese does the opposite. Its connectives come in matched pairs, and the natural, idiomatic sentence usually keeps both halves: 因为下雨，所以我们没去 ("because it rained, so we didn't go"). To an English ear that sounds redundant; to a Chinese ear, dropping a half often sounds like a sentence left hanging. This page is the hub for the whole Conjunctions group — it lays out the families and the two patterns that run through all of them, then points you to each family's dedicated page.

Pattern 1: connectives come in pairs, and you keep both

The first half is a clause-opening conjunction (因为, 虽然, 如果, 只要…); it flags what kind of link is coming. The second half then confirms it. Learn the pairs as units, not as two separate words.

因为下雨，所以我们没去。

yīnwèi xiàyǔ, suǒyǐ wǒmen méi qù

Because it rained, (so) we didn't go. — both halves present, the default in Chinese.

虽然很累，但是他还是坚持跑完了。

suīrán hěn lèi, dànshì tā háishì jiānchí pǎo wán le

Although he was tired, he still stuck it out and finished the run. (neutral)

Pattern 2: the second half is usually a pre-verbal adverb

Here is the structural surprise. In pairs like 如果…就, 只要…就, 只有…才, the second element is not a sentence-opening conjunction — it's a little adverb (就 jiù, 才 cái, 也 yě, 都 dōu, 还 hái, 则 zé) that sits after the subject and before the verb of the second clause. It never leads the clause the way English "then" can.

如果明天下雨，我们就不去了。

rúguǒ míngtiān xiàyǔ, wǒmen jiù bú qù le

If it rains tomorrow, we won't go. — 就 sits after 我们, before the verb, not at the front.

只有努力，才能成功。

zhǐyǒu nǔlì, cái néng chénggōng

Only by working hard can you succeed. — 只有 pairs with 才, and 才 hugs the verb.

💡

When you build the second clause, resist the English pull to open it with the "then" word. The pairing adverb (就 / 才 / 也 / 都 / 还) goes inside the clause — Subject → 就/才 → Verb. Say 你来我就高兴, never 就我高兴. This one habit fixes half of all connective errors.

The families at a glance

The rest of the group is these connectives sorted by the relationship they express. Jump to the family you need.

Joining words — and they only join NOUNS

和 / 跟 / 与 / 同 mean "and / with," but they link noun phrases only — never verbs or whole clauses. This is the single most common connective mistake for English speakers. See joining nouns with 和/跟/与/同, and the trap it causes on the don't use 和 to join clauses page.

我和你都喜欢喝茶。

wǒ hé nǐ dōu xǐhuan hē chá

You and I both like tea. — 和 joins the two nouns 我 and 你.

Cause & result — 因为…所以, 由于, 于是, 因此

The backbone pair 因为…所以, plus the result connectors 于是, 因此, 结果, and the formal 由于. Start with 因为…所以; the single-word result connectors have their own 所以 / 因此 / 于是 / 结果 page.

天黑了，于是我们就回家了。

tiān hēi le, yúshì wǒmen jiù huí jiā le

It got dark, so we headed home. — 于是 opens the result clause.

Concession & contrast — 虽然…但是, 尽管, 即使, 不过

"Although / even though / but." The core is 虽然…但是, reinforced by 尽管…还是, the hypothetical 即使/就算…也, the universal 无论/不管…都, and the softer contrast words 而 / 然而 / 不过.

尽管很忙，他还是每天坚持锻炼。

jǐnguǎn hěn máng, tā háishì měitiān jiānchí duànliàn

Even though he's busy, he still works out every day. (neutral)

Condition & hypothesis — 如果…就, 只要…就, 只有…才

The "if / as long as / only if" family, and where the 就-vs-才 split matters most. See 如果/要是…就. Note the contrast: 只要…就 marks a sufficient condition, while 只有…才 marks a necessary one.

只要你来，我就很高兴。

zhǐyào nǐ lái, wǒ jiù hěn gāoxìng

As long as you come, I'll be happy. — 只要 (sufficient) pairs with 就.

Addition & progression — 不但…而且, 而且, 并且

"Not only… but also," and the plain "moreover" connectors. See 不但…而且 and the 而且 / 并且 / 再说 / 另外 page.

他不但会说中文，而且说得很好。

tā búdàn huì shuō Zhōngwén, érqiě shuō de hěn hǎo

He not only speaks Chinese, but speaks it well. — 不但…而且 raises the stakes across the two clauses.

Sequence — 先…然后…再, 首先…其次

Ordering actions in time (先…然后…再) versus ordering points in an argument (首先…其次). The action-sequencing frame is on 先…然后…再…最后; for time-clauses like "when / before / after," see 的时候 / 以前 / 以后.

我先吃饭，然后再写作业。

wǒ xiān chīfàn, ránhòu zài xiě zuòyè

I'll eat first, and then do my homework. — 先…然后…再 chains the actions.

Simultaneity & correlation — 又…又, 一边…一边, 一…就

Two things at once, or one triggering another. See 又…又 (two qualities), 一边…一边 (two actions at once), and 一…就 ("as soon as").

我一到家就给你打电话。

wǒ yí dào jiā jiù gěi nǐ dǎ diànhuà

I'll call you the moment I get home. — 一…就 links trigger and result.

Alternatives — 不是…就是, 要么…要么, 与其…不如

"Either… or," and the "rather than" comparison. See 不是…就是, 要么…要么, and 与其…不如.

与其抱怨，不如想想办法。

yǔqí bàoyuàn, bùrú xiǎngxiang bànfǎ

Rather than complain, better to think of a solution. (neutral)

The correlative pivots — 就 vs 才

Because 就 and 才 do so much of the second-half work, they get their own 就 and 才 as the 'then' pivots page: 就 says the result comes easily / soon / as expected, 才 says it comes only with difficulty / late.

他六点就到了，我八点才到。

tā liù diǎn jiù dào le, wǒ bā diǎn cái dào

He arrived as early as six; I didn't get there until eight. — same clock, opposite feeling.

Register: the same link, dressed up

Every family has a plain spoken connector and a more formal written twin. In speech and casual writing use the left column; in essays, news, and business writing you'll meet the right.

Relationship	Spoken 口语	Written 书面语
because	因为 (yīnwèi)	由于 (yóuyú)
so / therefore	所以 (suǒyǐ)	因此 (yīncǐ) / 故 (gù)
but	但是 (dànshì)	然而 (rán'ér) / 但 (dàn)
if	要是 (yàoshi)	若 (ruò) / 倘若 (tǎngruò)
and (nouns)	和 (hé)	与 (yǔ) / 及 (jí)

Common Mistakes

1. Using 和 to join verbs or clauses. 和 links nouns only; for actions, chain them or use 然后 / 也 / 而且.

❌ 我喜欢中国和想去。

Wrong — 和 can't join clauses: 我喜欢中国，也想去。

✅ 我喜欢中国，也想去。

wǒ xǐhuan Zhōngguó, yě xiǎng qù

I like China, and I want to go too. — 也 carries the second clause.

2. Mismatching the pair — 只有 wants 才, 只要 wants 就. A necessary condition takes 才; a sufficient one takes 就.

❌ 只有努力，就能成功。

Wrong pivot — 只有 pairs with 才: 只有努力，才能成功。

✅ 只有努力，才能成功。

zhǐyǒu nǔlì, cái néng chénggōng

Only by working hard can you succeed.

3. Putting the pivot adverb before the subject. 就/才/也 are adverbs — they follow the subject and precede the verb.

❌ 如果你来，就我很高兴。

Word order — the adverb goes after the subject: 如果你来，我就很高兴。

✅ 如果你来，我就很高兴。

rúguǒ nǐ lái, wǒ jiù hěn gāoxìng

If you come, I'll be happy. — 就 sits after 我, before 高兴.

4. Dropping the second half English-style. English keeps one connector; Chinese usually wants its partner. Leaving 但是/所以/就 out can sound unfinished.

❌ 因为堵车。

Feels incomplete on its own — supply the result: 因为堵车，所以我迟到了。

✅ 因为堵车，所以我迟到了。

yīnwèi dǔchē, suǒyǐ wǒ chídào le

Because of the traffic jam, I was late.

Key Takeaways

Chinese connectives are paired correlatives — learn them as units (因为…所以, 虽然…但是, 如果…就) and keep both halves.
The second half is very often a pre-verbal adverb (就 / 才 / 也 / 都 / 还) that sits after the subject, before the verb — not a sentence-opener.
和 / 跟 / 与 / 同 join nouns only, never verbs or clauses.
Watch the condition split: 只要…就 = sufficient ("as long as"), 只有…才 = necessary ("only if").
Each relationship has a spoken connector and a formal written twin (因为→由于, 所以→因此, 但是→然而).

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