Once the cause is stated, Chinese has a whole family of connectives to open the second clause — the result, consequence, or conclusion. English mostly makes do with "so" and "therefore"; Chinese draws finer distinctions, and choosing the right one is a real mark of fluency. This page sorts out six of them — 所以 (suǒyǐ), 因此 (yīncǐ), 因而 (yīn'ér), 于是 (yúshì), 结果 (jiéguǒ) and 可见 (kějiàn). The beginner's instinct is to route every "so" through 所以, but 所以 is only the plainest option. The others each add something 所以 can't: sequence, formality, an unexpected outcome, or an inference. Learn what each contributes and your writing stops sounding flat.
The plain consequence: 所以
所以 ("so") is the neutral, all-purpose result word — the partner of 因为 in the 因为…所以… frame. It states a straightforward logical consequence and works in both speech and writing.
他病了，所以没来。
tā bìng le, suǒyǐ méi lái
He was sick, so he didn't come. (neutral)
外面很冷，所以你多穿点。
wàimiàn hěn lěng, suǒyǐ nǐ duō chuān diǎn
It's cold out, so put on a bit more. (informal)
The formal "therefore": 因此 / 因而
因此 ("therefore") and 因而 ("thus") are the formal, written versions of 所以. They draw a logical conclusion and belong in essays, reports and academic prose. 因此 is the more common of the two; 因而 leans slightly more literary. Neither belongs in casual chat.
这次实验数据不足，因此结论并不可靠。
zhè cì shíyàn shùjù bùzú, yīncǐ jiélùn bìng bù kěkào
The data from this experiment was insufficient, therefore the conclusion is unreliable. (academic)
他从小在国外长大，因而中文说得不太流利。
tā cóngxiǎo zài guówài zhǎngdà, yīn'ér Zhōngwén shuō de bú tài liúlì
He grew up abroad, and thus doesn't speak Chinese very fluently. (formal)
The sequential "so then": 于是
于是 is the one English speakers most often miss. It is temporal — "thereupon / and so then" — narrating the next event that follows as a natural consequence. It belongs in storytelling and narrative, chaining one happening to the next. Where 所以 states a logical "therefore," 于是 pushes the story forward in time.
天黑了，于是我们回家了。
tiān hēi le, yúshì wǒmen huí jiā le
It got dark, so then we went home. (neutral) — a next event in sequence.
电影票卖光了，于是我们改去吃饭。
diànyǐngpiào mài guāng le, yúshì wǒmen gǎi qù chī fàn
The tickets were sold out, so we went to eat instead. (informal)
The outcome, often unexpected: 结果
结果 literally means "result / outcome," and as a connective it introduces how things actually turned out — very often with a twist against expectation. It is the "as it turned out / in the end" word, common in both speech and writing, and it carries a faint drumroll of surprise.
我们本想早点到，结果路上堵了两个小时。
wǒmen běn xiǎng zǎodiǎn dào, jiéguǒ lùshang dǔ le liǎng ge xiǎoshí
We meant to arrive early, but as it turned out we were stuck in traffic for two hours. (informal)
他准备了很久，结果还是没考上。
tā zhǔnbèi le hěn jiǔ, jiéguǒ háishì méi kǎoshàng
He prepared for a long time, but in the end still didn't pass. (informal)
The inference: 可见
可见 ("clearly / from this one can see") does not mark a consequence at all — it draws a conclusion or inference from the evidence just given. It answers "what does this tell us?" rather than "what happened next?" and is common in essays, commentary and reasoned speech.
大家都笑了，可见这个笑话很成功。
dàjiā dōu xiào le, kějiàn zhège xiàohua hěn chénggōng
Everyone laughed — clearly this joke was a hit. (neutral)
报名人数远超预期，可见这个活动很受欢迎。
bàomíng rénshù yuǎn chāo yùqī, kějiàn zhège huódòng hěn shòu huānyíng
Registrations far exceeded expectations, which shows the event is very popular. (formal)
| Connector | Meaning | Register | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 所以 (suǒyǐ) | so | neutral | plain logical consequence |
| 因此 (yīncǐ) | therefore | formal | reasoned conclusion, written |
| 因而 (yīn'ér) | thus | formal / literary | reasoned conclusion, slightly bookish |
| 于是 (yúshì) | so then | neutral | the next event, in time sequence |
| 结果 (jiéguǒ) | as it turned out | neutral | the actual outcome, often a twist |
| 可见 (kějiàn) | clearly / evidently | formal | an inference drawn from the evidence |
Common Mistakes
1. Using 所以 for a narrative sequence where 于是 fits. When one event triggers the next in time, 于是 is far more natural than a flat 所以.
❌ 他听到消息，所以马上跑了过去。
Marginal — this is a next event in sequence; native speakers say 于是.
✅ 他听到消息，于是马上跑了过去。
tā tīngdào xiāoxi, yúshì mǎshàng pǎo le guòqù
He heard the news and rushed straight over. — 于是 for the sequential result.
2. Using 因此 / 因而 in casual conversation. These are written-register words; among friends they sound stiff. Use 所以.
❌ 我很累，因此想回家。
Marginal — 因此 is too formal for chat; use 所以.
✅ 我很累，所以想回家。
wǒ hěn lèi, suǒyǐ xiǎng huí jiā
I'm tired, so I want to go home. — 所以 in everyday speech.
3. Using 结果 where there's no outcome — just a plain 'so'. 结果 reports how things ended up; don't substitute it for the logical 所以.
❌ 因为下雨，结果我没去。
Incorrect — 因为 pairs with 所以 for a plain consequence; 结果 is for a reported outcome.
✅ 因为下雨，所以我没去。
yīnwèi xià yǔ, suǒyǐ wǒ méi qù
Because it rained, I didn't go. — 所以 for the straightforward consequence.
4. Using 可见 as a plain 'so'. 可见 draws an inference from evidence; it can't mark a simple consequence.
❌ 他没来，可见我一个人去了。
Incorrect — 可见 introduces a conclusion, not a consequence; use 所以.
✅ 他没来，所以我一个人去了。
tā méi lái, suǒyǐ wǒ yí ge rén qù le
He didn't come, so I went alone. — 所以 for the consequence.
Key Takeaways
- 所以 is the plain, all-purpose "so"; 因此 / 因而 are its formal cousins for written "therefore / thus."
- 于是 is temporal — "so then," narrating the next event in a sequence; not a logical "therefore."
- 结果 reports the actual outcome, very often an unexpected twist ("as it turned out").
- 可见 draws an inference from the evidence ("clearly / this shows"), not a consequence.
- Don't route every "so" through 所以 — matching the right result word to sequence, register, outcome or inference is what fluency sounds like.
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- 因为…所以… (Because…So…)HSK 2 — 因为…所以… (yīnwèi…suǒyǐ) links cause to result — 因为下雨，所以我们没去. The key insight for English speakers: Chinese happily keeps BOTH halves, and it is not the redundancy that 'because…so…' would be in English — the paired frame is idiomatic and expected.
- 由于 (Owing To / Because — Formal)HSK 4 — 由于 (yóuyú) is the formal, written 'because / owing to' of news and essays — 由于天气原因，航班取消了. It pairs with 所以 / 因此 / 因而, avoids casual speech, and — unlike 因为 — almost never trails at the end of a sentence.
- Linking Clauses Without ConnectivesHSK 3 — Chinese often chains clauses by simple juxtaposition — a comma and nothing more — where English demands 'and / so / because'. The logical link is left implicit and inferred: 天黑了，我们回家吧.