致使

HSK 6

Causative

Structure (结构 jiégòu)

Cause致使Result (bad)

Meaning (意思 yìsi)

The verb 致使 is used to indicate a cause leading to a bad, undesirable result; commonly used in written language.

Explanation (解释 jiěshì)

The verb 致使 (zhì shǐ) connects a cause and its result, emphasizing that the preceding action or situation caused or led to an undesirable, unwanted consequence. It carries a formal register and is commonly used in written language, news, or serious contexts. 致使 is similar to 导致 but is somewhat more formal.

Examples (例句 lìjù)(5)

他的失误致使公司损失严重。
繁: 他的失誤致使公司損失嚴重。Tā de shīwù zhìshǐ gōngsī sǔnshī yánzhòng.
His mistake caused the company to suffer severe losses.
疲劳驾驶致使他发生了车祸。
繁: 疲勞駕駛致使他發生了車禍。Píláo jiàshǐ zhìshǐ tā fāshēng le chēhuò.
Fatigued driving caused him to have a car accident.
工厂排污致使河水受到污染。
繁: 工廠排汙致使河水受到汙染。Gōngchǎng páiwū zhìshǐ héshuǐ shòudào wūrǎn.
The factory's discharge of pollutants has caused the river water to become contaminated.
沟通不畅致使他们产生了误会。
繁: 溝通不暢致使他們產生了誤會。Gōutōng bùchàng zhìshǐ tāmen chǎnshēng le wùhuì.
Poor communication led to misunderstandings between them.
资金不足致使这个项目失败了。
繁: 資金不足致使這個項目失敗了。Zījīn bùzú zhìshǐ zhège xiàngmù shībài le.
The lack of sufficient funding caused this project to fail.

Common mistakes

Wrong:他的努力致使他成功了。
Correct:他的努力使他成功了。
致使 is only used for negative results. For positive or neutral results, use 使 or 让.
Wrong:下雨致使我没去公园。
Correct:因为下雨，所以我没去公园。
致使 is used for serious consequences, not trivial matters. Using 因为...所以... would be more natural.