原因 (yuán yīn) — reason, cause

Definition

原因 is a straightforward, everyday 'reason' or 'cause'. Among its siblings, 理由 is more about justification or excuse, 缘故 is more literary, and 根源 points to the deeper root cause.

noun
reasoncause
Measure word ·

Examples

  • 原因
    Nǐ zhī dào tā shēng bìng de yuán yīn ma?
    Do you know the reason why he got sick?
  • 原因
    Zhè jiàn shì de yuán yīn hěn jiǎn dān.
    The reason for this matter is very simple.
  • 原因
    Wǒ men yào zhǎo chū wèn tí de yí gè yuán yīn.
    We need to find one cause of the problem.

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