Expressing a Consequential Result with “yǐzhì / yǐzhìyú”
以致 / 以至于
How it works
以致 and 以至于 introduce a consequence of the preceding situation. 以致 is concise and formal; 以至于 more readily emphasizes the degree that leads to the result. The result is often undesirable, though context can be neutral.
Example sentences
由于前期准备得不够充分,以致整个项目在执行阶段出现了不少意想不到的问题。
Insufficient preparation in the early stage caused the project to encounter many unexpected problems during implementation.
他长期把情绪压在心里,以至于后来连自己也说不清真正的不满来自哪里。
He kept suppressing his emotions, to the point that later he could not even explain where his dissatisfaction came from.
双方在细节上的分歧始终没有妥善解决,以致最后不得不推迟原定的合作计划。
The two sides never properly resolved their differences over the details, so the original cooperation plan eventually had to be postponed.
Key point
Both forms introduce results, but 以至于 often sounds slightly stronger and more degree-focused than 以致.