Writing
之所以 (zhī suǒ yǐ) — how to say "the reason why" in Chinese
之所以
The reason why, that is why
conjunction
Character composition
之
this, of
所
place, that which
以
in order to, by means of
Radicals / Keys
戶
Door
#63 · hù · 4 strokes
丿
Slash
#4 · piě · 1 stroke
人
Man
#9 · rén · 2 strokes
Examples
我之所以学习中文，是因为我想去中国工作。
The reason I study Chinese is because I want to work in China.
他之所以迟到，是因为堵车。
The reason he was late is because of traffic.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you say "the reason why" in Chinese?
"the reason why" in Chinese is 之所以 (zhī suǒ yǐ).
What does 之所以 mean in English?
之所以 (zhī suǒ yǐ) means "The reason why, that is why".
How is 之所以 pronounced?
It is pronounced zhī suǒ yǐ (written as zhi suo yi, zhisuoyi). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "the reason why" in Chinese characters?
It is written 之所以: 之 has 3 strokes, 所 has 8 strokes, 以 has 4 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order of each character and lets you trace it.
What HSK 3.0 level is 之所以?
之所以 is on the HSK 3.0 level 6 word list. It is not part of the six-level HSK 2.0 lists.
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