PM Translation #68: Cause & Effect (Part 1)

🌀 Pearls of Mandarin: Translation #68

Hello Mandarin Enthusiasts! 🌟

In this week’s CGG #69 lesson, we explored five elegant ways to express cause and effect in Mandarin.

Today’s translation exercises will help you put these patterns into practice. With each sentence you translate, these structures will become more natural in your Mandarin toolkit. Remember, what makes these connections powerful isn’t just knowing them, but being able to use them instinctively in conversation!

By the way, I’ll be sending the Comprehension worksheets (PMC Easy & PMC Advanced) exceptionally on Monday instead of our usual Sunday schedule this week.

Ready to make these cause-effect connections click? Let’s dive in! 💫

Recap of CGG #69 lesson

• No Connector Needed: The most elegant approach—simply place cause and result next to each other with just a pause or comma. Let the logical connection speak for itself, creating natural, conversational flow.

• Using 因为...所以... (yīnwèi...suǒyǐ): The reliable classic for crystal-clear cause and effect. Unlike English, Chinese loves this double-connector approach that creates a satisfying, complete logical loop.

• Using 于是 (yúshì): Perfect for showing immediate response or action taken. This connector has a storytelling quality, like saying “and so...” when someone does something directly because of what just happened.

• Using 结果 (jiéguǒ): Your go-to for plot twists! Introduces outcomes that are unexpected, ironic, or contrary to what was planned. Adds dramatic flair with a sense of “and what actually happened was...”

• Using 既然...就... (jìrán...jiù): For logical reasoning when you acknowledge an accepted fact and suggest what naturally follows. Perfect for making proposals, giving advice, or working through decisions together based on established circumstances.

Today’s Exercises

Translate these English sentences into Mandarin:

🌱 Easy

1. It’s so hot in the summer that we go swimming at the beach.

2. The baby was crying, so everyone woke up.

🌿 Intermediate

3. Her computer broke, so she took it to the repair shop.

4. Since you’ve already learned the basics of grammar, let’s start practicing conversation.

🌳 Advanced

5. She thought the interview would be easy, but ended up facing very technical questions.

6. As global temperatures keep rising, many island nation residents are at risk of losing their homes to flooding.

Take your time, and remember: practicing will help you sound more natural and confident in your Mandarin conversations. You’ve got this! 💫

🌱 Translation #1

It’s so hot in the summer that we go swimming at the beach.

In this sentence, we’re expressing a clear cause-and-effect relationship where the summer heat directly leads to a specific action. When we have such an obvious causal relationship in Mandarin, the 因为...所以... structure is perfect because it explicitly marks both the cause and the consequence, creating a complete logical loop.

📚 Structure: 因为 + [Cause] + 所以 + [Result]

Let’s break down the translation step by step:

• 因为 (yīnwèi) means “because.”

  • Unlike English, Chinese often uses both cause and effect markers together.

• 夏天 (xiàtiān) means “summer.”

• 太 (tài) means “too.”

  • 📖 Learn more about intensity markers in CGG #65.

• 热 (rè) means “hot.”

• 所以 (suǒyǐ) means “therefore.”

  • This marks the consequence that follows from the cause.

• 我们 (wǒmen) means “we.”

• 去 (qù) means “to go.”

• 海边 (hǎibiān) means “seaside.”

• 游泳 (yóuyǒng) means “to swim.”

Notes

• Don’t omit either 因为 or 所以 when using this structure: Chinese prefers both markers.

• The word order is fixed: cause first, then result.

Recap

• 因为夏天太热，所以我们去海边游泳。

• 因为 / 夏天 / 太 / 热 / ， / 所以 / 我们 / 去 / 海边 / 游泳 。

• yīnwèi xiàtiān tài rè, suǒyǐ wǒmen qù hǎibiān yóuyǒng

• It’s so hot in the summer that we go swimming at the beach.

• because / summer / too / hot / therefore / we / go / seaside / swim.

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🌱 Translation #2

The baby was crying, so everyone woke up.