原因
HSK 4 (exam 2025)HSK 2 (2021)Old HSK 4
原因 (yuányīn) · reason
原因 (yuányīn) means “reason; cause”. It is written with 2 characters: 原 (source) + 因 (cause). It is an HSK 4 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 原因 is built
The characters
原 yuán · source
What 原 is made of
- 厂chǎng — cliff
- 泉quán — spring
Origin hint: 厂 gives the meaning, 泉 gives the sound. (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
因 yīn · cause
What 因 is made of
- 囗wéi — enclosure
- 冂 — frame
- 丨 — vertical stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 冂 — frame
- 大dà — big
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 人rén — person
Example sentences
你知道原因吗？Nǐ zhīdào yuányīn ma?Do you know the reason?
他没来的原因是生病了。Tā méi lái de yuányīn shì shēngbìng le.The reason he didn't come is that he was sick.
Questions about 原因
What does 原因 mean?
原因 (yuányīn) means “reason; cause”.
How do you pronounce 原因?
原因 is pronounced yuányīn.
Which HSK level is 原因?
原因 is in HSK 4 (exam 2025) and HSK 2 (2021) and Old HSK 4.
Related words
- 原来yuánláioriginally
- 原料yuánliàoraw material
- 原则yuánzéprinciple
- 原谅yuánliàngto forgive
- 还原huányuánto restore
- 平原píngyuánplain
- 原告yuángàoplaintiff
- 原理yuánlǐprinciple
- 原始yuánshǐoriginal
- 原先yuánxiānoriginally
Learn 原因 with its group
It is part of HSK 2 (2021) · Group 68: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.