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 / Ending

Examples

• 她 穿 得 很 少 ，结果 感冒 了 。Tā chuān de hěn shǎo, jiéguǒ gǎnmào le.She didn't wear enough, as a result, she had 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 said a lot of wrong things.
• 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 hǎohǎo 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. 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 took a bet with my friends. 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 hē zuì le.I went to have a drink with my friends yesterday. I got drunk in the end.
• 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 were useful 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 in the end.

See also

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

Sources and further reading

Books

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