于是 yúshì

于是（yúshì）means “so; thereupon — introduces the result or next action naturally following what was just said”. 于是 connects two clauses in a narrative: the first is a situation or trigger, the second is the action or result that follows it. Formation: 前句（原因/前事）+ 于是 + 后句（结果/后续动作）

so; thereupon — introduces the result or next action naturally following what was just said

HSK4

Formation

前句（原因/前事）+ 于是 + 后句（结果/后续动作）

Explanation

于是 connects two clauses in a narrative: the first is a situation or trigger, the second is the action or result that follows it. It stresses sequence and natural consequence, so it is common when telling what happened. Unlike 因为…所以, it does not state a pure cause; the reason is simply mentioned in the first clause.

Examples

天突然下起了大雨，于是 我们躲进了旁边的咖啡馆。
tiān tūrán xià qǐ le dà yǔ, yúshì wǒmen duǒ jìn le pángbiān de kāfēiguǎn
It suddenly started pouring, so we ducked into the café next door.
他没赶上火车，于是 只好打车去机场。
tā méi gǎn shàng huǒchē, yúshì zhǐhǎo dǎchē qù jīchǎng
He missed the train, so he had no choice but to take a taxi to the airport.

Note

Put the cause/situation in the clause before 于是, not with 因为. ✅ 下雨了，于是… ❌ 因为下雨，于是…

FAQ

于是 — what does it mean and how is it used?

so; thereupon — introduces the result or next action naturally following what was just said. 于是 connects two clauses in a narrative: the first is a situation or trigger, the second is the action or result that follows it. It stresses sequence and natural consequence, so it is common when telling what happened. Unlike 因为…所以, it does not state a pure cause; the reason is simply mentioned in the first clause.

于是 — how do you form it?

前句（原因/前事）+ 于是 + 后句（结果/后续动作）

于是 — any usage notes?

Put the cause/situation in the clause before 于是, not with 因为. ✅ 下雨了，于是… ❌ 因为下雨，于是…

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