缘故

緣故

yuángù

noun HSK 6 #6,620

Meanings

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

HSK 1

不知什么缘故，他没有来。

Bù zhī shénme yuángù, tā méiyǒu lái.

For some unknown reason, he didn't come.

HSK 2

因为这个缘故，计划改变了。

Yīnwèi zhège yuángù, jìhuà gǎibiàn le.

Because of this reason, the plan changed.

HSK 6

由于文化的缘故，两国的观念存在明显的差异。

Yóuyú wénhuà de yuángù, liǎng guó de guānniàn cúnzài míngxiǎn de chāyì.

Owing to cultural reasons, the two countries' outlooks differ markedly.

usage

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

缘 yuán

故 gù