以致 (yǐzhì) — as a result; so that; causing

以致 (yǐzhì)

以致 is a formal conjunction that introduces a negative or undesirable consequence that was caused by the preceding action or situation, equivalent to "as a result," "causing," or "so that."

Meanings

1. [conjunction] as a result; causing; so that (introduces a negative consequence or undesirable outcome)

Example Sentences

他长期忽视身体健康，以致病情愈发严重，最终不得不住院治疗。 Tā chángqī hūshì shēntǐ jiànkāng, yǐzhì bìngqíng yùfā yánzhòng, zuìzhōng bùdébù zhùyuàn zhìliáo. He neglected his health for a long time, as a result his condition became increasingly serious and he finally had to be hospitalized.

工程施工质量不达标，以致建筑物在地震中发生了严重损毁。 Gōngchéng shīgōng zhìliàng bù dá biāo, yǐzhì jiànzhùwù zài dìzhèn zhōng fāshēngle yánzhòng sǔnhuǐ. Construction quality failed to meet standards, causing the building to suffer serious damage in the earthquake.

决策者缺乏充分的调研，以致政策实施后出现了许多意想不到的问题。 Juécèzhě quēfá chōngfèn de diàoyán, yǐzhì zhèngcè shíshī hòu chūxiànle xǔduō yì xiǎng bù dào de wèntí. The decision-makers lacked sufficient research, causing many unforeseen problems to emerge after the policy was implemented.

两人沟通不畅，以致合作项目多次陷入僵局。 Liǎng rén gōutōng bù chàng, yǐzhì hézuò xiàngmù duō cì xiànrù jiāngjú. Communication between the two was poor, causing the collaborative project to repeatedly reach a deadlock.

该企业管理混乱，以致财务漏洞长期未被发现，损失惨重。 Gāi qǐyè guǎnlǐ hùnluàn, yǐzhì cáiwù lòudòng chángqī wèi bèi fāxiàn, sǔnshī cǎnzhòng. The company's management was chaotic, as a result financial loopholes went undetected for a long time, causing severe losses.

由于准备不足，以致演讲时出现了多次失误，留下了不好的印象。 Yóuyú zhǔnbèi bùzú, yǐzhì yǎnjiǎng shí chūxiànle duō cì shīwù, liúxià le bù hǎo de yìnxiàng. Due to insufficient preparation, causing multiple mistakes during the speech, leaving a poor impression.

Collocations

Usage Notes

以致 specifically introduces a negative or undesirable consequence. This distinguishes it from the neutral 从而 (thereby) and from 以至于 which can be used more neutrally. When the result is clearly bad or undesirable, 以致 is the appropriate choice; when the result is neutral or positive, use 从而 or 以至于 instead.

以致 is a formal expression most commonly found in written Chinese, news analysis, and official reports. In spoken Chinese, people tend to use 所以 or 导致 to express similar meanings. 导致 (to lead to/cause) is a verb and often appears where 以致 would function as a conjunction.

Memory Hook

以 (by) + 致 (to cause/bring about) — 以致 is the conjunction form of 导致 (to cause), specifically "causing" an undesirable outcome.