Comparing Formal Written Connectors
书面连接词辨析
How it works
At HSK6 level, formal written connectors are extremely important because they organize logic, show relationships between clauses, and make writing more coherent and precise.
Common formal connectors include:
然而 (rán’ér) however
因此 (yīncǐ) therefore
由此可见 (yóucǐ kějiàn) this shows that; we can therefore conclude that
此外 (cǐwài) besides
与此同时 (yǔcǐ tóngshí) at the same time
尽管如此 (jǐnguǎn rúcǐ) even so
换句话说 (huàn jù huà shuō) in other words
总而言之 (zǒng ér yán zhī) in short
The key is not merely knowing what these connectors mean, but understanding how they organize discourse.
Example sentences
这项措施短期内的确会带来一定不便，然而从长远来看，它有助于整个制度更加稳定。
This measure will cause some short-term inconvenience; however, in the long run it will help make the entire system more stable.
数据之间虽然存在差异，然而总体趋势却是一致的；由此可见，问题并非个别现象。
Although the data differ, the overall trend is consistent; this shows that the issue is not an isolated phenomenon.
这项决定表面上针对的是局部问题，换句话说，它实际上反映的是更深层的结构性矛盾。
On the surface this decision targets a local problem; in other words, what it actually reflects is a deeper structural contradiction.
Key point
Formal connectors do more than link sentences: they precisely mark logical relationships such as contrast, cause, conclusion, concession, addition, reformulation, and summary.