Content words carry the meaning, but it's the function words — the "buts," "becauses," "ifs," and "froms" — that most loudly signal register. Swap 但是 for 然而 and 因为 for 由于, and a paragraph stops sounding like a chat window and starts sounding like a report, even if you change nothing else. This is the same move English makes with if → in the event that or because → owing to: identical logic, formal packaging. This page is the paired dictionary of those grammatical connectors. It builds directly on the 口语 vs 书面语 axis; the multi-clause classical connectives (而, 则, 及) get their own written-connectives page.
The master pair table
| Spoken (口语) | Written (书面语) | Function |
|---|---|---|
| 但是 / 可是 (dànshì / kěshì) | 然而 / 但 (rán'ér / dàn) | however |
| 因为 (yīnwèi) | 由于 (yóuyú) | because / due to |
| 所以 (suǒyǐ) | 因此 / 故 (yīncǐ / gù) | therefore |
| 要是 (yàoshi) | 倘若 / 若 (tǎngruò / ruò) | if |
| 和 / 跟 (hé / gēn) | 与 / 及 (yǔ / jí) | and (joining nouns) |
| 被 (bèi) | 为…所 (wéi…suǒ) | passive "by" |
| 的 (de) | 之 (zhī) | attributive / possessive |
| 给 (gěi) | 予 / 向 (yǔ / xiàng) | give / to |
| 在 (zài) | 于 (yú) | at / in |
| 到 (dào) | 至 (zhì) | to / until |
| 从 (cóng) | 自 (zì) | from |
Notice the pattern from the overview: many written twins are monosyllabic classical survivors — 若, 则, 故, 之, 于, 至, 自 — single characters that speech abandoned but formal writing preserves.
Conditionals: 要是 → 若 / 倘若
The everyday "if" is 要是 (yàoshi) or 如果 (rúguǒ). Formal writing prefers the terse 若 (ruò) or the more literary 倘若 (tǎngruò), and it very often pairs 若 with 则 (zé) "then" — a classical bracket that spoken Chinese fills with 就 (jiù).
要是下雨，我就不去了。
yàoshi xià yǔ, wǒ jiù bú qù le
If it rains, I won't go. (spoken/informal)
若遇雨，则不前往。
ruò yù yǔ, zé bù qiánwǎng
In the event of rain, [we] shall not proceed. (written/formal) — 要是→若, 就→则, 去→前往.
Cause and result: 因为…所以 → 由于…因此
The colloquial 因为…所以 pair has a formal mirror in 由于…因此 (or the very terse 故). A crucial detail English speakers miss: you keep the halves in the same register. 由于 wants 因此, not 所以.
因为天气不好，所以航班取消了。
yīnwèi tiānqì bù hǎo, suǒyǐ hángbān qǔxiāo le
Because the weather was bad, the flight was cancelled. (spoken/informal)
由于天气恶劣，航班因此取消。
yóuyú tiānqì èliè, hángbān yīncǐ qǔxiāo
Owing to inclement weather, the flight was accordingly cancelled. (written/formal)
Contrast: 但是 → 然而
然而 (rán'ér) is the written "however." Unlike 但是, it can open a sentence after a full stop, exactly like English "However, …", giving formal prose its measured, paragraph-to-paragraph rhythm.
这个计划很好，但是很难做。
zhège jìhuà hěn hǎo, dànshì hěn nán zuò
This plan is great, but it's hard to carry out. (spoken/informal)
该计划固然可行，然而执行难度极大。
gāi jìhuà gùrán kěxíng, rán'ér zhíxíng nándù jí dà
The plan is admittedly feasible; however, its execution is extremely difficult. (written/formal)
Coverbs: 在→于, 到→至, 从→自
The spoken prepositions (coverbs) of place and range have single-character formal twins that reorder the sentence too — 于 typically follows its verb (居住于, 位于, 成立于), where spoken 在 precedes it.
会议在明天下午举行。
huìyì zài míngtiān xiàwǔ jǔxíng
The meeting will be held tomorrow afternoon. (spoken/informal)
会议于明日下午举行。
huìyì yú míngrì xiàwǔ jǔxíng
The meeting is to be held tomorrow afternoon. (written/formal) — 在→于, 明天→明日.
营业时间从九点到五点。
yíngyè shíjiān cóng jiǔ diǎn dào wǔ diǎn
Opening hours are from nine to five. (spoken/informal)
营业时间自九时至十七时。
yíngyè shíjiān zì jiǔ shí zhì shíqī shí
Business hours: 09:00 to 17:00. (written/formal) — the 从…到 range becomes 自…至, a fixed formal frame.
The formal-range frame 自…至 and the coverbs 于 and 以 have their own reference under formal coverbs and 于 as a formal coverb.
The passive: 被 → 为…所
Everyday passives use 被 (bèi). Formal and literary Chinese has a bracketing frame 为 (wéi) … 所 (suǒ) …, common in fixed expressions like 深为…所吸引 "deeply attracted by." Note the 为 here is second tone (wéi), not the 4th-tone 为 (wèi) of 因为.
他被这本书深深吸引了。
tā bèi zhè běn shū shēnshēn xīyǐn le
He was deeply drawn in by this book. (spoken/neutral)
他深为此书所吸引。
tā shēn wéi cǐ shū suǒ xīyǐn
He is deeply captivated by this book. (written/literary) — 被 → the 为…所 frame.
Joining nouns: 和 → 与 / 及
For "and" between nouns, speech uses 和 or 跟; writing uses 与 (yǔ) or, in lists, 及 (jí) / 以及. The choice among 和, 跟, 同, 与 is worked out in full on 和 vs 跟 vs 同 vs 与.
我和他都同意。
wǒ hé tā dōu tóngyì
He and I both agree. (spoken/informal)
我与他均表示同意。
wǒ yǔ tā jūn biǎoshì tóngyì
He and I both express agreement. (written/formal) — 和→与, 都→均.
Common Mistakes
1. Mixing the columns across a clause pair. The single most common register error: formal opener, casual closer.
❌ 由于时间不够，所以取消了。
Register clash — formal 由于 needs formal 因此: 由于时间不足，故予以取消。
✅ 因为时间不够，所以取消了。
yīnwèi shíjiān bú gòu, suǒyǐ qǔxiāo le
Because there wasn't enough time, it was cancelled. (spoken) — both halves colloquial.
2. Reading 为…所 with the wrong tone. The passive 为 is wéi (2nd tone). Saying wèi turns it into "because/for" and the passive collapses.
3. Forgetting that 于 follows the verb. Learners transplant 在's word order onto 于.
❌ 他于北京居住。
Awkward order — the formal coverb 于 attaches after the verb: 他居住于北京。
✅ 他居住于北京。
tā jūzhù yú Běijīng
He resides in Beijing. (written/formal)
4. Using 之 as a spoken 的. 之 replaces attributive 的 only in fixed phrases and formal writing (三分之一, 无价之宝). *我之书 for "my book" is not a thing you say — see classical residue.
5. Dropping 若 without its partner. 若 in formal prose usually needs a resuming 则 or a clear consequence clause; a bare 若 hanging alone reads as unfinished. Pair it: 若…，则….
Key Takeaways
- Function words are the loudest register signal: 但是→然而, 因为→由于, 所以→因此/故, 要是→若/倘若, 被→为…所, 在→于, 到→至, 从→自, 和→与/及.
- Many written twins are monosyllabic classical survivors (若, 则, 故, 之, 于, 至, 自).
- Each pair is a mini-construction: 若 pulls in 则, 由于 pairs with 因此, 于 sits after the verb, 为 brackets with 所.
- Keep a clause in one register lane — the classic mistake is formal-opener / casual-closer.
- Watch the tone on passive 为 = wéi, not wèi.
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Start learning Chinese→Related Topics
- 口语 vs 书面语 — The Core Register AxisHSK 4 — The central stylistic split in Chinese is 口语 (kǒuyǔ, spoken) vs 书面语 (shūmiànyǔ, written): the same idea has a casual form and a literary form. 现在 (now) vs 目前/如今; 但是 (but) vs 然而. It is not politeness — it is 'get' vs 'obtain'.
- Spoken to Written: Content WordsHSK 5 — Everyday verbs and nouns have literary twins — the 'Latinate' layer of Chinese: 看→观看/阅读, 想→思考/欲, 买→购买, 用→使用/采用, 给→提供/予, 住→居住, 帮→协助, 觉得→认为, 很多→众多/大量, 现在→目前/如今. Same meaning, written packaging.
- 而/则/于/以 — Written ConnectivesHSK 6 — The classical particles that mortar formal modern Chinese: 而 (and yet / and so), 则 (then / whereas), 于 (at / in / than), 以 (with / in order to), plus the joining set 及/以及, 并/并且, 从而, 因而, 故, 且. They compress relations that speech spells out with 但是, 然后, 在, 用.