Sentence patternsHSK 6
Stating two or more reasons with 一来…二来
To list two main reasons for something, use 一来 (firstly) and 二来 (secondly), much like “for one thing… for another.” You can start with an outcome clause, then give the reasons with 一来…二来…, separating each with a comma.
Structure
一来 + Reason 1 ， 二来 + Reason 2
often preceded by an outcome clause; 是 and 也 are optional
Examples
- 我今天不出去，一来天气不好，二来我有点累。Wǒ jīntiān bù chūqù, yīlái tiānqì bù hǎo, èrlái wǒ yǒu diǎn lèi.I’m not going out today—for one thing the weather is bad, and for another I’m a bit tired.
- 她决定学习中文，一来是她喜欢中国文化，二来也想以后去中国工作。Tā juédìng xuéxí Zhōngwén, yīlái shì tā xǐhuan Zhōngguó wénhuà, èrlái yě xiǎng yǐhòu qù Zhōngguó gōngzuò.She decided to study Chinese: firstly because she likes Chinese culture, and secondly she also wants to work in China later.
- 我们选这个方案，一来成本低，二来效率高。Wǒmen xuǎn zhège fāng'àn, yīlái chéngběn dī, èrlái xiàolǜ gāo.We chose this plan: first, its cost is low, and second, its efficiency is high.