Expressing "as a result" with "jieguo"

结果 (jiéguǒ) can be used as a conjunction or adverb, meaning "as a result" or "consequently." It normally starts the second half of a sentence and can also introduce an unexpected or undesirable result.

Indicating a Logical Result

Structure

Reason / Condition ，结果 + Result

Examples

• 她 穿 得 很 少 ，结果 感冒 了 。Tā chuān de hěn shǎo, jiéguǒ gǎnmào le.She didn't dress warmly enough, and as a result, she caught a cold.
• 我 太 紧张 了 ，结果 说 错 了 很 多 。Wǒ tài jǐnzhāng le, jiéguǒ shuō cuò le hěn duō.I was too nervous. As a result, I misspoke a lot.
• 他 开 得 太 快 了 ，结果 撞到 了 一 个 人 。Tā kāi de tài kuài le, jiéguǒ zhuàngdào le yī gè rén.He drove too fast. As a result, he hit someone.
• 他 没 好好 复习，结果 考试 没 考 好 。Tā méi hǎohāo fùxí, jiéguǒ kǎoshì méi kǎo hǎo.He didn't review well. As a result, he didn't do well in the exam.
• 他 总是 迟到 ，结果 老板 炒 了 他 的 鱿鱼 。Tā zǒngshì chídào, jiéguǒ lǎobǎn chǎo le tā de yóuyú.He's always late for work. As a result, his boss fired him.

Indicating an Unexpected Result

Sometimes there is no cause-effect relationship between what comes before and after 结果 (no logical connection). In these sentences, the second half of the sentence usually emphasizes that what actually happened was unexpected or undesired.

Structure

Situation ，结果 + [Unexpected Result]

Examples

• 我 去 机场 接 他 ，结果 没 接到 他 。Wǒ qù jīchǎng jiē tā, jiéguǒ méi jiēdào tā.I went to the airport to pick him up. But in the end, I didn't find him there.
• 我 跟 朋友 打赌 ，结果 我 输 了 。Wǒ gēn péngyou dǎdǔ, jiéguǒ wǒ shū le.I made a bet with a friend. I lost in the end.
• 我 昨天 跟 朋友 去 喝酒 ，结果 喝醉 了 。Wǒ zuótiān gēn péngyou qù hējiǔ, jiéguǒ hēzuì le.I went to have a drink with my friends yesterday. I ended up getting drunk.
• 他 吃 了 很 多 药 ，结果 都 没有 用 。Tā chī le hěn duō yào, jiéguǒ dōu méiyǒu yòng.He took a lot of pills. None of them worked in the end.
• 我 点 的 是 牛肉 汉堡 ，结果 服务员 给 了 我 一 个 鸡肉 的 。Wǒ diǎn de shì niúròu hànbǎo, jiéguǒ fúwùyuán gěi le wǒ yī gè jīròu de.I ordered a burger. The waiter gave me a chicken sandwich instead.

See also

• Cause and effect with "yinwei" and "suoyi"
• Expressing "due to…" with "youyu"

Sources and further reading

Books

• HSK Standard Course 4上 (pp. 110) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy

• Chinese Grammar - Broken down into 100 items - Basic and Intermediate Levels (汉语语法百项讲练 - 初中级) (pp. 342) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy

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