缘故

緣故

yuángù

noun HSK 6 #6,620

Meanings

1 reason; cause

Characters

cause; reason; fate

reason; cause; old

Both characters mean 'reason/cause' — a formal way to say 'reason.'

Examples

不知什么缘故，他没有来。

Bùzhī shénme yuángù, tā méiyǒu lái.

For some unknown reason, he didn't come.

由于天气的缘故，航班取消了。

Yóuyú tiānqì de yuángù, hángbān qǔxiāo le.

Due to weather reasons, the flight was canceled.

因为这个缘故，计划改变了。

Yīnwèi zhège yuángù, jìhuà gǎibiàn le.

Because of this reason, the plan changed.

Tips

usage

缘故 is more literary than 原因 (yuányīn). Common pattern: 由于...的缘故 (due to the reason of...). It often appears when the reason is somewhat vague or unexplained.

Stroke Order

缘 yuán

故 gù