Skip to content
Mythic Mandarin

The reason lies in: 之所以…原因在于

HSK 6 Unit 4: Causes and consequences · Lesson 1 of 5 · About 26 minutes

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

Your mission: By the end of this lesson, you can give the real reason for something with 之所以…是因为 and 原因在于, and explain why a small town became famous.

Warm-up: do you remember?

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

  1. Meaning

    What does 薪水 mean?

    1. salary, pay
    2. leg
    3. to feel wronged, to put up with
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, salary, pay.

    薪水 (xīnshuǐ) means salary, pay.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “to bake, to roast”?

    1. 腿
    2. 烤
    3. 赚
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 烤.

    “to bake, to roast” is 烤 (kǎo).

New words

  • 在于zàiyúto lie in, to consist in
  • 吸引xīyǐnto attract
  • 独特dútèunique, distinctive
  • 宣传xuānchuánto publicise, publicity
  • 名气míngqifame, reputation
  • 小镇xiǎozhènsmall town

之所以…原因在于

之所以 (zhīsuǒyǐ) A，是因为 B puts the result first and the reason second: the reason A happens is B. In formal writing, the reason can also be introduced with 原因在于 (yuányīn zàiyú): the reason lies in ….

  • 他之所以成功，是因为从来不放弃。

    Tā zhīsuǒyǐ chénggōng, shì yīnwèi cónglái bú fàngqì.

    The reason he succeeded is that he never gave up.

  • 这个问题很难解决，原因在于大家的意见不同。

    Zhège wèntí hěn nán jiějué, yuányīn zàiyú dàjiā de yìjiàn bùtóng.

    This problem is hard to solve; the reason lies in people's differing opinions.

  • Not: 因为他从来不放弃，之所以成功。

    But: 他之所以成功，是因为从来不放弃。 Tā zhīsuǒyǐ chénggōng, shì yīnwèi cónglái bú fàngqì.

    Result first with 之所以, reason second with 是因为.

Characters

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

A town goes viral

Sophie and Professor Yang talk about a small town that suddenly became famous.

Listen first

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

Helpful words: 特色 tèsè characteristic, special feature; 游客 yóukè tourist; 传统节日 chuántǒng jiérì traditional festival; 短视频 duǎnshìpín short video

  1. Listening

    Listen first. What first made the town famous?

    1. a short video
    2. a film star
    3. a newspaper
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, a short video.

    是因为一个短视频.

  2. Listening

    What is the real reason, according to the professor?

    1. its cheap hotels and good weather
    2. the famous short video alone
    3. its unique festival and local snacks
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, its unique festival and local snacks.

    原因在于小镇有独特的传统节日和特色小吃.

Show the transcript
Pinyin
Translation

  1. 苏菲

    杨教授Yáng jiàoshòu，那个nàge小镇xiǎozhèn以前yǐqián没méi什么shénme名气míngqi，现在xiànzài每天měitiān都dōu有yǒu几jǐ万wàn游客yóukè。

    Professor Yang, that small town used to be unknown, and now it has tens of thousands of tourists a day.

  2. 杨教授

    它Tā之所以zhīsuǒyǐ变biàn得de这么zhème有名yǒumíng，是shì因为yīnwèi一yí个gè短视频duǎnshìpín。

    The reason it became so famous is a short video.

  3. 苏菲

    一Yí个gè视频shìpín就jiù能néng吸引xīyǐn这么zhème多duō人rén？

    One video can attract so many people?

  4. 杨教授

    视频Shìpín只是zhǐshì开始kāishǐ。真正Zhēnzhèng的de原因yuányīn在于zàiyú小镇xiǎozhèn有yǒu独特dútè的de传统节日chuántǒng jiérì和hé特色tèsè小吃xiǎochī。

    The video was only the start. The real reason lies in the town's unique traditional festival and local snacks.

  5. 苏菲

    所以Suǒyǐ宣传xuānchuán很hěn重要zhòngyào，但dàn更gèng重要zhòngyào的de是shì自己zìjǐ的de特色tèsè。

    So publicity matters, but your own character matters more.

  6. 杨教授

    说Shuō得de对duì。没有Méiyǒu特色tèsè，再zài多duō的de宣传xuānchuán也yě没有méiyǒu用yòng。

    Exactly. Without something special, no amount of publicity helps.

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.

  • 视频只是开始。真正的原因在于小镇有独特的传统节日和特色小吃。

    Shìpín zhǐshì kāishǐ. Zhēnzhèng de yuányīn zàiyú xiǎozhèn yǒu dútè de chuántǒng jiérì hé tèsè xiǎochī.

    The video was only the start. The real reason lies in the town's unique traditional festival and local snacks.

  • 杨教授，那个小镇以前没什么名气，现在每天都有几万游客。

    Yáng jiàoshòu, nàge xiǎozhèn yǐqián méi shénme míngqi, xiànzài měitiān dōu yǒu jǐ wàn yóukè.

    Professor Yang, that small town used to be unknown, and now it has tens of thousands of tourists a day.

  • 一个视频就能吸引这么多人？

    Yí gè shìpín jiù néng xīyǐn zhème duō rén?

    One video can attract so many people?

Practice

  1. Meaning

    What does 在于 mean?

    1. if, suppose
    2. to make, to do (something to)
    3. to lie in, to consist in
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, to lie in, to consist in.

    在于 (zàiyú) means to lie in, to consist in.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “to attract”?

    1. 满足
    2. 小镇
    3. 吸引
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 吸引.

    “to attract” is 吸引 (xīyǐn).

  3. Pinyin

    How do you read 独特 (unique, distinctive)?

    1. dútě
    2. dútè
    3. dǔtè
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, dútè.

    独特 is read dútè. Check the tone mark on every syllable.

  4. Listening

    Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    宣传 xuānchuán

    1. to publicise, publicity
    2. to be short of
    3. unexpected, accident
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, to publicise, publicity.

    You heard 宣传 (xuānchuán): to publicise, publicity.

  5. Your turn

    Recall: type the Chinese for “fame, reputation” (characters or pinyin).

    Show the answer

    Answer: 名气

    “fame, reputation” is 名气 (míngqi).

  6. Grammar

    Which sentence is right?

    1. 之所以下雨，比赛取消了。
    2. 因为下雨，之所以比赛取消。
    3. 比赛之所以取消，是因为下雨。
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 比赛之所以取消，是因为下雨。.

    比赛之所以取消，是因为下雨。: Result + 之所以, then 是因为 + reason.

  7. Fill the gap

    Complete: The beautiful scenery attracts many tourists.

    漂亮的风景＿＿了很多游客。

    1. 宣传
    2. 在于
    3. 吸引
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 吸引.

    吸引: to attract.

  8. In context

    This restaurant's dishes taste like nothing else in the city. How are they?

    1. 很独特
    2. 很名气
    3. 很宣传
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 很独特.

    很独特: 独特: unique.

  9. Your turn

    Type the Chinese for small town

    Show the answer

    Answer: 小镇

    小镇: small town.

Why it worked

Explain out loud why a place, product or person became famous, in six sentences.

  1. Say what became famous.
  2. Give the surface reason with 之所以…是因为.
  3. Give the deeper reason with 原因在于.

Sentence frames

  • ＿＿之所以＿＿，是因为＿＿。

    ＿＿ zhīsuǒyǐ ＿＿, shì yīnwèi ＿＿.

    The reason ... is 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 give the real reason with 之所以…是因为 and 原因在于.
  • I can talk about fame, publicity and what makes a place special.

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 much that: 以至于 and 以致