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Mythic Mandarin

So much that: 以至于 and 以致

HSK 6 Unit 4: Causes and consequences · Lesson 2 of 5 · About 26 minutes

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

Your mission: By the end of this lesson, you can describe how something went so far that it led to a result with 以至于 and 以致, and talk about overwork and health.

Warm-up: do you remember?

Two quick questions from earlier lessons. Recalling before you learn makes the new material stick.

  1. Meaning

    What does 宣传 mean?

    1. small town
    2. unique, distinctive
    3. to publicise, publicity
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, to publicise, publicity.

    宣传 (xuānchuán) means to publicise, publicity.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “to lie in, to consist in”?

    1. 遵守
    2. 在于
    3. 守信
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 在于.

    “to lie in, to consist in” is 在于 (zàiyú).

  3. Listening

    From an earlier unit. Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    好奇 hàoqí

    1. grammar
    2. to master
    3. curious
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, curious.

    You heard 好奇 (hàoqí): curious.

New words

  • 以至于yǐzhìyúso much that, to the extent that
  • 以致yǐzhìwith the result that (a bad result)
  • 过度guòdùexcessive, too much
  • 忽视hūshìto ignore, to neglect
  • 住院zhùyuànto be in hospital

以至于 and 以致

A，以至于 (yǐzhìyú) B: A went so far that B happened. B can be neutral or bad. 以致 (yǐzhì) is more formal and introduces a bad result.

  • 他看书看得太入迷了，以至于忘了吃饭。

    Tā kàn shū kàn de tài rùmí le, yǐzhìyú wàng le chīfàn.

    He was so absorbed in his book that he forgot to eat.

  • 他长期过度工作，以致身体出了问题。

    Tā chángqī guòdù gōngzuò, yǐzhì shēntǐ chū le wèntí.

    He overworked for a long time, with the result that his health suffered.

  • Not: 他很努力，以致考得很好。

    But: 他很努力，所以考得很好。 Tā hěn nǔlì, suǒyǐ kǎo de hěn hǎo.

    以致 is for bad results; for a good one, use 所以 or 以至于.

Characters

Open a character to see how it is written, stroke by stroke, with its meanings and words.

Too much work

Liu Fang visits Li Ming in hospital.

Listen first

Play the whole conversation and answer the questions before you open the transcript.

Helpful words: 项目 xiàngmù project; 连续 liánxù in a row, continuously; 晕倒 yūndǎo to faint

  1. Listening

    Listen first. What happened to Li Ming at work?

    1. he lost his job
    2. he hurt his leg
    3. he fainted
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, he fainted.

    你在公司晕倒了.

  2. Listening

    What does the doctor say?

    1. he caught a virus at the office
    2. he needs an operation soon
    3. exhaustion weakened his immune system
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, exhaustion weakened his immune system.

    过度疲劳，以致免疫力下降.

Show the transcript
Pinyin
Translation

  1. 刘芳

    你Nǐ怎么zěnme住院zhùyuàn了le？我Wǒ听说tīngshuō你nǐ在zài公司gōngsī晕倒yūndǎo了le。

    How did you end up in hospital? I heard you fainted at work.

  2. 李明

    为了Wèile那个nàge项目xiàngmù，我wǒ连续liánxù两liǎng个gè月yuè每天měitiān工作gōngzuò十shí几jǐ个gè小时xiǎoshí，以至于yǐzhìyú晚上wǎnshang都dōu睡不着shuìbuzháo。

    For that project I worked over ten hours a day for two months straight, so much that I couldn't sleep at night.

  3. 刘芳

    你Nǐ太tài忽视hūshì自己zìjǐ的de身体shēntǐ了le。

    You've neglected your health far too much.

  4. 李明

    是Shì啊a。医生Yīshēng说shuō，我wǒ是shì过度guòdù疲劳píláo，以致yǐzhì免疫力miǎnyìlì下降xiàjiàng。

    Yes. The doctor says I'm suffering from exhaustion, which has weakened my immune system.

  5. 刘芳

    工作Gōngzuò再zài重要zhòngyào，也yě没有méiyǒu健康jiànkāng重要zhòngyào。

    However important work is, it isn't as important as your health.

  6. 李明

    这Zhè次cì我wǒ真zhēn的de明白míngbai了le。出院Chūyuàn以后yǐhòu，我wǒ一定yídìng按时ànshí下班xiàbān。

    This time I really understand. After I leave hospital, I'll definitely finish work on time.

Speak: listen, record, compare

Listen to each model, record yourself, then play both and compare: the rhythm, the tones, the vowels. No automatic score: your ear is the judge.

  • 是啊。医生说，我是过度疲劳，以致免疫力下降。

    Shì a. Yīshēng shuō, wǒ shì guòdù píláo, yǐzhì miǎnyìlì xiàjiàng.

    Yes. The doctor says I'm suffering from exhaustion, which has weakened my immune system.

  • 你太忽视自己的身体了。

    Nǐ tài hūshì zìjǐ de shēntǐ le.

    You've neglected your health far too much.

  • 你怎么住院了？我听说你在公司晕倒了。

    Nǐ zěnme zhùyuàn le? Wǒ tīngshuō nǐ zài gōngsī yūndǎo le.

    How did you end up in hospital? I heard you fainted at work.

Practice

  1. Meaning

    What does 以至于 mean?

    1. silk
    2. so much that, to the extent that
    3. swindler, con artist
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, so much that, to the extent that.

    以至于 (yǐzhìyú) means so much that, to the extent that.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “with the result that (a bad result)”?

    1. 以致
    2. 过度
    3. 名气
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 以致.

    “with the result that (a bad result)” is 以致 (yǐzhì).

  3. Word order

    Put the words in order: You've neglected your health far too much.

    • 你
    • 了
    • 的
    • 身体
    • 太
    • 自己
    • 忽视
    Show the answer

    你太忽视自己的身体了 Nǐ tài hūshì zìjǐ de shēntǐ le.

    You've neglected your health far too much.

    你太忽视自己的身体了。 The sentence comes from this lesson's text.

  4. Listening

    Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    忽视 hūshì

    1. boyfriend
    2. the same
    3. to ignore, to neglect
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, to ignore, to neglect.

    You heard 忽视 (hūshì): to ignore, to neglect.

  5. Your turn

    Recall: type the Chinese for “to be in hospital” (characters or pinyin).

    Show the answer

    Answer: 住院

    “to be in hospital” is 住院 (zhùyuàn).

  6. Grammar

    Which sentence is right?

    1. 他很认真，以致考了第一名。
    2. 他太紧张了，以至于说不出话来。
    3. 以至于他太紧张了。
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 他太紧张了，以至于说不出话来。.

    他太紧张了，以至于说不出话来。: A，以至于 + result.

  7. Fill the gap

    Complete: Don't neglect your health.

    不要＿＿自己的健康。

    1. 忽视
    2. 过度
    3. 住院
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 忽视.

    忽视: to neglect.

  8. In context

    Your grandmother must stay in hospital for a week. What happens?

    1. 她出院了
    2. 她忽视了
    3. 她住院了
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 她住院了.

    她住院了: 住院: to be in hospital.

  9. Your turn

    Type the Chinese for excessive

    Show the answer

    Answer: 过度

    过度: excessive.

Things went too far

Tell out loud about a time something went too far, in six sentences.

  1. What happened at first.
  2. How it went too far, with 以至于.
  3. The bad result, with 以致.
  4. What you learned.

Sentence frames

  • ＿＿，以至于＿＿。

    ＿＿, yǐzhìyú ＿＿.

    ..., so much that ...

Record your attempt (three and a half minutes at most) and listen back:

Review and finish

Can you do this? If a line feels shaky, go back to that part before you move on.

  • I describe how something went so far that it caused a result, with 以至于 and 以致.
  • I can talk about overwork, neglect and health.

Review works best spaced out: answer these exercises again tomorrow, then after a few days. Your progress is saved in this browser.

Completing records that you finished the lesson. Mastery is separate: it grows as reviews bring the exercises back and you answer them correctly.

Next lesson: So as not to: 以免