【Learn Chinese】Chinese Idioms for Reasoning and Inference

Advanced Chinese phrases not only help depict vivid images and express deep meanings with few characters, but they also create a brisk and flowy rhythm.
You may know that the majority of Chinese idioms, or 成语 (chéngyǔ), are made up of four characters; however, not all four-character phrases are idioms. Many four-character phrases are the combination of two two-character words that are often associated with each other and said together, like a set phrase. Idioms or set phrases, they’re both great for advanced learners.

分析与推理 (fēnxī yǔ tuīlǐ) – Reasoning & Inference
Writing an essay or research paper is not an easy task. Choosing the right words and phrases for connecting facts and opinions is half the battle. Four-character phrases are perfect for this occasion due to their compact but profound nature. Here are some advanced-level Chinese phrases for making inferences and drawing conclusions for research papers, reports, and other formal texts.
显而易见 (xiǎn’éryìjiàn) – “obvious” / “obviously”
显而易见, 第二种方法比第一种更有效。(Xiǎn’éryìjiàn, dì èr zhǒng fāngfǎ bǐ dì yī zhǒng gèng yǒuxiào) - “Obviously, the second method is more efficient than the first one.”

相对而言 (xiāngduì éryán) – “comparatively” / “relatively speaking” *
相对而言，女孩儿的语言天赋比男孩儿的要强一些。(Xiāngduì éryán, nǚháir de yǔyán nénglì bǐ nánháir de yāo qiáng yīxiē) - “Relatively speaking, girls show more talent in languages than boys.”

相辅相成 (xiāngfǔ xiāngchéng) – “to complement one another”
知识的学习和应用相辅相成，相互促进。(Zhīshi de xuéxí hé yìngyòng xiāngfǔ xiāngchéng, xiānghù cùjìn) - “The acquisition and application of knowledge complement and benefit each other.”

密不可分 (mìbù kěfēn) – “inseparable” / “closely related”
以上两个要素密不可分，缺一不可。(Yǐshàng liǎng gè yàosù mìbù kěfēn, quēyī bùkě) - “The above two factors are inseparable and indispensable.”

与此同时 (yǔcǐ tóngshí) – “meanwhile” / “in the meantime”
与此同时，房价的上涨维持在平均每年2.8%的水平。(Yǔcǐ tóngshí, fángjià de shàngzhǎng wéichí zài píngjūn měinián 2.8% de shuǐpíng) - “At the same time, the increase in housing prices has remained at an average annual rate of 2.8%.”
由此可见 (yóucǐ kějiàn) – “it can be seen that…”
由此可见，这个结论存在极大的漏洞。(Yóucǐ kějiàn, zhège jiélùn cúnzài jí dà de lòudòng) - “It can be seen that there are huge loopholes in this conclusion.”

总而言之 (zǒng’ér yánzhī) – “all in all”
总而言之，电子产品给儿童的身心健康带来了负面影响。(Zǒng’ér yánzhī, diànzǐ chǎnpǐn gěi értóng de shēnxīn jiànkāng dàilái le fùmiàn yǐngxiǎng) - “All in all, electronic products have a negative impact on children’s physical and mental health.”

综上所述 (zòngshàng suǒshù) – “in summary” / “to conclude”
综上所述，人工智能不能替代真人翻译。(Zòngshàng suǒshù, réngōng zhǐ néng bùnéng tìdài zhēnrén fānyì) - “In summary, artificial intelligence cannot replace human translation.”