Causation, consequence, topic-framing — the formal-register connector toolkit
Formal Chinese — essays, contracts, business reports, news prose, official speeches — uses a register-marked set of connectors that you'd rarely hear in casual chat. Causation: 由于 yóuyú = 'due to / owing to' (input cause). Consequence: 因此 yīncǐ = 'therefore' (standard formal), 因而 yīn'ér = 'thus / therefore' (slightly more bookish), 从而 cóng'ér = 'thereby / and as a result' (consequence flowing from the action). Framing: 鉴于 jiànyú = 'in view of / given that' (formal preface), 至于 zhìyú = 'as for / as to' (topic shift), 关于 guānyú = 'concerning / about' (topic introduction), 对于 duìyú = 'with regard to / regarding' (perspective frame). Mastering these lets you write a real Chinese paragraph — argued, transitioned, and topic-organized — instead of merely stringing 然后, 但是, 所以.
由于 — 'due to / owing to' (formal cause)
由于 introduces a cause, more formal than the conversational 因为. Sentence pattern: 由于 + cause + Clause. 由于天气不好,飞机晚点了。 = Due to bad weather, the flight was delayed. 由于经济原因,公司决定关门。 = Owing to economic reasons, the company decided to close. 由于 can pair with consequence markers: 由于 X,因此 Y = due to X, therefore Y. 由于 X,从而 Y = due to X, thereby Y. 由于交通堵塞,我们因此迟到了。 = Due to the traffic jam, we were therefore late. The 因为 / 由于 split: 因为 is everyday spoken; 由于 is written / formal speech. In a casual conversation 由于 sounds stiff. In a news article or report it sounds correct. Note: 由于 more often introduces an OBJECTIVE cause (weather, economic conditions, structural factors) rather than a personal motivation. For 'I want to' / 'because I feel...' use 因为. 由于 typically takes a noun phrase or full clause, never a single word.
因此 / 因而 / 从而 — three flavors of 'therefore'
Mandarin's 'therefore' is a small family. 因此 is the workhorse formal 'therefore' — argues from premise to conclusion. 他没有准备好,因此考试没考好。 = He wasn't prepared, therefore he did poorly on the exam. 因而 is similar but more bookish / written, slightly more emphatic. 公司业绩不好,因而决定裁员。 = Company performance was poor, thus (the company) decided to lay off staff. 从而 = 'thereby / so that as a result' — emphasizes that the consequence FLOWS naturally from the action. The cause and effect are tightly linked, often in process descriptions: 政府降低了税,从而促进了经济发展。 = The government lowered taxes, thereby promoting economic development. 新技术减少了成本,从而提高了效率。 = New technology reduced costs, thereby increasing efficiency. The split: 因此 = standard 'therefore' (most flexible), 因而 = slightly more formal, 从而 = 'thereby (as a flow-on effect)' — usually for processes, policies, mechanisms. In casual speech use 所以; in writing reach for these. A common mistake is using 从而 where 因此 is needed: 从而 implies a smooth flow / engineered consequence; 因此 is neutral 'therefore'.
鉴于 — 'in view of / given that' (formal preface)
鉴于 jiànyú is highly formal — found in legal documents, official statements, academic writing, formal speeches. Function: prefaces a CONSIDERATION that motivates a subsequent decision or stance. 鉴于 + situation, (主) + 决定 / 应当 / 将 + V. 鉴于目前的经济情况,公司决定推迟扩张计划。 = In view of the current economic situation, the company has decided to postpone the expansion plan. 鉴于学生的实际困难,学校将延长报名时间。 = Given the students' actual difficulties, the school will extend the registration period. 鉴于 is a register signal — drop it into a normal conversation and you'll sound like a contract. Use it when writing official notices, business proposals, policy memos. The structure 'in view of + clause' takes a complete situation as input and a deliberate response as output — note how it pairs naturally with formal future markers like 将 (will) and decision verbs (决定, 同意, 批准). Don't confuse with 由于 (cause) or 因为 (reason): 鉴于 frames a consideration FOR the speaker's decision, not just a cause.
至于 — 'as for / as to' (topic shift)
至于 zhìyú is a topic-SHIFT marker: 'as for X, ...'. It moves the conversation to a new subtopic, often after addressing a previous one. A: 我们已经讨论了第一个问题。 B: 至于第二个问题,我们下周再讨论吧。 = We've already discussed the first issue. As for the second issue, let's discuss next week. 关于价格我没问题。至于交付时间,我有几个问题。 = I have no issue with the price. As for the delivery time, I have a few questions. The pattern: prior topic (sometimes implicit) + 至于 + new topic, + Clause. 至于 is fairly formal — common in business meetings, structured discussions, essays. In casual speech you might use 那 + 新话题 + 呢? ('how about the new topic?') instead. Don't confuse with 关于 (concerning, introduces a topic from scratch) — 至于 specifically signals a SHIFT from one topic to another. It also has a degree-marking use: 至于这么生气吗? = does it really merit getting that angry? — but the topic-shift use is dominant.
关于 / 对于 — 'concerning' vs. 'regarding'
Both translate roughly 'about / regarding / concerning' but differ. 关于 guānyú introduces a TOPIC: 'concerning / about / on the subject of'. 关于这个问题,我有不同的看法。 = Concerning this issue, I have a different view. 关于历史的书 = books about history (modifying a noun). 这本书关于中国文化。 = This book is about Chinese culture. 关于 is the topic introducer — works at sentence start or as a modifier. 对于 duìyú introduces a PERSPECTIVE / object of attitude: 'with regard to / for / toward'. 对于这个问题,我没有意见。 = With regard to this issue, I have no opinion. 对于学生来说,这是很难的。 = For students, this is very hard. The split: 关于 = topic frame ('on the subject of X'), 对于 = perspective frame ('from the angle of X / for X'). Many sentences accept either with subtle shifts. Rule of thumb: if the rest of the sentence DESCRIBES the topic, use 关于. If the rest expresses an ATTITUDE / POSITION TOWARD the topic, use 对于. 关于这本书,我读过两次。 ✓ (describes — read it twice). 对于这本书,我很喜欢。 ✓ (attitude — like it). Both register-formal compared to bare topic constructions in casual speech.
Stacking and pairing — formal paragraphs in motion
Formal Chinese paragraphs often chain these connectors. Typical structure: 由于 + cause, + 因此 / 从而 + consequence; 鉴于 + further consideration, + 决定 + action; 至于 + side topic, + Clause; 关于 / 对于 + topic, + position. Example paragraph: 由于近年来环境问题日益严重,因此政府决定加大投资力度。鉴于专家的建议,新政策将在明年正式开始。从而,各地的污染问题有望逐步改善。至于具体细节,有关部门将在下个月公布。关于公众反应,大部分人表示支持。 = (Due to environmental problems becoming more serious in recent years, therefore the government has decided to increase investment. In view of experts' suggestions, the new policy will officially begin next year. Thereby, pollution in various places is expected to improve gradually. As for specific details, the relevant departments will announce next month. Regarding public reaction, most people express support.) That's a paragraph of well-formed formal Chinese — argued, sequenced, framed — and it's almost entirely scaffolded by these connectors. Master them, and you can write essays, business reports, and op-eds; without them, you can only string casual clauses.
Common patterns and traps
Trap 1: register confusion. Saying 由于我饿了,因此我去吃饭 ('due to my being hungry, therefore I went to eat') sounds absurdly formal for a personal trivial fact. Use 因为我饿了,所以我去吃饭 in casual speech. Save the formal connectors for formal contexts. Trap 2: 因此 vs. 从而. 因此 = neutral 'therefore'; 从而 = 'thereby (as a flowing-on effect)'. 他生病了,因此没来上班 ✓ (he was sick, so didn't come to work). 他生病了,从而没来上班 ✗ (sick → didn't come is a basic causation, not a process flow). 从而 fits process / policy / mechanism descriptions: 降低成本,从而提高利润 ✓ (lower cost, thereby raise profit). Trap 3: 鉴于 with personal trivial reasons. 鉴于我累了,所以我要睡觉 is bizarre — like prefacing a yawn with 'in light of'. Reserve 鉴于 for institutional, considered, formal contexts. Trap 4: 关于 vs. 对于. If the sentence DESCRIBES the topic, use 关于. If it expresses an ATTITUDE TOWARD the topic, prefer 对于. 关于这本书 + 描述 vs. 对于这本书 + 看法 / 感觉. Trap 5: 至于 isn't a sentence opener for a NEW unrelated topic. It needs a prior topic to shift FROM. 至于 + Clause at the very start of an essay sounds odd; use 关于 there. Trap 6: combining redundantly. 由于...所以 is fine but 由于...因为 is wrong (two cause markers). Pick one cause marker + one consequence marker. Trap 7: missing comma. The formal connector typically introduces a clause and is followed by a comma: 由于 X,因此 Y。 The comma is standard punctuation.
