List of Mandarin Chinese transition words and phrases with pinyin and English translation (counterpart), how to use transition words properly with sample sentence and audio recording. Hawthorne Heights – The transition lyrics. Les Brown the Power of Change

Transitional words and phrases are like bridges between parts of your sentence. They are cues that help the reader to understand the writing better. Transitional words or phrases can help carry a thought from one sentence to another or from one idea to another. Transitional words and phrases link sentences and paragraphs together smoothly, so that there are no abrupt bumps or breaks between ideas. In Chinese, there are a variety of transition phrases, I am writing this post to provide you with a comprehensible understanding of many common transitional phrase with Chinese, pinyin, English translation and how to use them in a sentence. Hope it will help you with your oral communication as well as writing assignment.

A To Add:
[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/transition-words.mp3|titles=transition words]
1 和 hé means and; you use it in a list, such as A, B, and C.
我喜欢吃香蕉， 苹果和西瓜。
Wǒ xǐhuān chī xiāng jiāo , Píngguǒ hé xīguā .
I like to eat bananas, apples and watermelons.

他的生日礼物有衣服，钱和手表。
tā de shēngrì lǐwù yǒu yīfu , Qián Hé shǒubiǎo .
His birthday presents have clothes, money and watches.

2 也 yě， adverb, also; you use it before a verb. 也+verb.
我爱我妈妈， 爸爸，也爱我妹妹。
Wǒ ài Wǒ māma , bàba , yě ài Wǒ mèimei .
I love my mom, dad, also love my younger sister.

姐姐学中文，也学数学。
jiějie xué Zhōngwén , yě xué shùxué .
Older sister learns Chinese, also learns Math.

3 还有 hái yǒualso ／ 也有 yě yǒu , in addition, besides, furthermore, moreover, likewise, anyway
These two can be used before an object or verb + object

他的生日礼物有衣服，钱还有手表。（before an object–手表)
tā de shēngrì lǐwù yǒu yīfu , qián hái yǒu shǒubiǎo .
His birthday presents have clothes, money and watches.

姐姐学中文，也有学数学。(before verb + object- 学数学)
jiějie xué Zhōngwén , yě yǒu xué shùxué .
Older sister studies Chinese, also studies math.

4还 hái adverb, also 还+ verb

我喜欢吃香蕉， 还喜欢吃苹果。
Wǒ xǐhuān chī xiāng jiāo , hái xǐhuān chī Píngguǒ .
I like eating banana, also like eating apples.

我打篮球，还打棒球。
Wǒ dǎ lánqiú , hái dǎ bàngqiú .
I play basketball, also play baseball.

5不但 bùdàn，而且 érqiě not only …. but also.

他不但高，而且帅。
tā bùdàn gāo , érqiě shuài .
He is not only tall, but also handsome.

他不但跳舞，而且唱歌。
tā bùdàn tiàowǔ , érqiě chànggē .
He not only dances, but also sings.
[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/transition-words1.mp3|titles=transition words]
6 又 yòu also

他跳舞又唱歌。
tā tiàowǔ yòu chànggē .
He dances also sings.

7并且 bìngqiě also

他很会读书， 并且很会玩。
tā hěn huì dúshū , bìngqiě hěn huì wán .
He is good at reading book (or studying), also good at playing.

8除了 chúle….以外 yǐwài，besides

除了吃水饺以外，他还吃炒面。
chúle chī shuǐjiǎo yǐwài , tā hái chī chǎomiàn.
Besides eating dumplings, he also ate fried noodles.

9再说 zài shuō moreover. This transition phrase usually is used to explain why you did not do something.

Mary: 为什么你没去中国？
Mary: wèishénme nǐ méi qù Zhōngguó ?
Why you did not go to China?

Richard: 我没有时间，再说我没有钱。
Richard: Wǒ méiyǒu shíjiān , zài shuō Wǒ méiyǒu qián .
I don’t have time, moreover, I don’t have money.

10此外 cǐwài besides / in addition / moreover / furthermore

他买了五本书，此外还买了三支笔。
tā mǎi le wǔ běn shū , cǐwài hái mǎi le sān zhī bǐ .
He bought five books; in addition, he also bought three pens.

11 另外 lìngwài additional / in addition / besides

除了这个工作，另外他还有别的工作。
chúle zhège gōngzuò , lìngwài tā hái yǒubiéde gōngzuò .
Besides this job, additionally, he has other jobs.

B To prove
[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/transition-words2.mp3|titles=transition words]
1 因为yīnwèi because

他没来上学， 因为他生病了。
tā méi lái shàngxué , yīnwèi tā shēng bìng le .
He doesn’t come to school, because he is sick.

2 由于 yóuyú due to / as a result of / thanks to / owing to / since / because

由于心情不好，他不和人说话。
yóuyú xīnqíng bù lún zhī liàn , tā bùhé rén shuōhuà .
Due to bad mood, he did not talk to people.

由于没收入，他没钱买衣服。
yóuyú mòshōu rù , tā méi qián mǎi yīfu .
As result of having no income, he did not have money to buy clothes.

3 所以 suǒyǐ, so /thus/ therefore

他生病了，所以他没来上学。
tā shēng bìng le , suǒyǐ tā méilái shàngxué .
He got sick, so he did not come to school.

4 因为 yīnwèi…..所以suǒyǐ because …. so

因为肚子痛，所以他去看医生。
yīnwèi dǔzǐtòng , suǒyǐ tā qù kàn yīshēng .
Because of stomachaches, he went to see doctor.

C To show exception
[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/transition-words3.mp3|titles=transition words]
1虽然 suīrán although

虽然他很小，可是他很懂事。
suīrán tā hěn xiǎo , kěshì tā hěn dǒngshì .
Although he is young, he is thoughtful.

2 然而 ránér however / yet / but

他很小，然而他很懂事。
tā hěn xiǎo , ránér tā hěn dǒngshì .
He is little; however, he is thoughtful.

3仅管 jǐn guǎn although

仅管风雨很大，渔夫还是出去打鱼。
jǐn guǎn fēngyǔ hěn dà , yúfū hái shì chūqù dǎyú.
Although wind and rain are big, fisherman still goes out to fish.

4 尽管如此 jǐnguǎn rúcǐ even though in this way

经济情况 尽管如此，他还是很乐观。
jīngjì qíngkuàng jǐnguǎn rúcǐ , tā hái shì hěn lèguān .
Economy situation, even though like this, he is still very optimistic.

D To Show Time:
[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/transition-words4.mp3|titles=transition words]
1 立刻 lìkè immediately, right away, forthwith / immediate / prompt / promptly / straightway / thereupon / at once

他接到电话，立刻出门去。
tā jiēdào diànhuà , lìkè chūmén qù .
He received the phone call; he went out of door right away.

2 之后 zhīhòu afterwards / following / later / after

跳舞之后， 我们去买东西。
tiàowǔ zhīhòu , wǒmen qù mǎi dōngxi .
After dancing, we went shopping.

3 不久 bùjiǔ not long (after) / before too long / soon / soon after

他们做功课，做了不久就做好了。
tāmen zuò gōngkè , zuò le bùjiǔ jiù zuò hǎo le .
They did homework, soon they finished it.

4 最后 zuìhòu final / last / finally / ultimate

最后一天，他们都不想读书了。
zuìhòu yītiān, tāmen dōu bù xiǎng dúshū le .
The last day, they all did not want to read books.

5 然后 ránhòu after / then (afterwards) / after that / afterwards

他们先去买东西，然后去吃饭。
tāmen xiān qù mǎi dōngxi , ránhòu qù chīfàn .
They went to buy things first, then went to eat.

6 先前 xiānqián before / previously

现在的问题很难， 先前的很简单。
xiànzài de wèntí hěn nán , xiānqián de hěn jiǎndān .
Now the question is difficult, previously was simple.

7 首先 shǒuxiān first (of all) / in the first place

写作文，首先要先思考。
xiězuò wén , shǒuxiān yào xiān sīkǎo .
Writing composition, first you have to ponder over it.

8 其次，qícì next / secondly

写作文，首先要先思考。其次要打草稿。
xiězuò wén , shǒuxiān yào xiān sīkǎo . qícì yào dǎ cǎogǎo .
Writing composition, first you have to ponder over it. Then, you have to make a draft.

9 最后 zuìhòu final / last / finally / ultimate

最后的再见，很难说出口。
zuìhòu de zàijiàn , hěn nánshuō chūkǒu .
The last goodbye is hard to utter out of mouth.

E To compare
[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/transition-words5.mp3|titles=transition words]
1 同样 tóngyàng likewise, similarly

同样在深夜， 他又出去了。
tóngyàng zài shēnyè , tā yòu chūqu le .
Likewise, in midnight, he went out again.

2 相反 xiāngfǎn on the contrary, in contrast, opposite

相反地，他的做法太老式了。
xiāngfǎn di , tā de zuòfǎ tài lǎoshì le .
On the contrary, his doing is too old fashioned.

3 另一方面 lìng yī fāngmiàn on the other hand

从另一方面 看来，不好的事并不是那么不好。
cóng lìng yī fāngmiàn kànlái , bùlǐxiǎng shì bìng bù shì nàme bù lún zhī liàn .
Seeing from the other side, a bad thing is not that bad at all.

F To conclude, summarize
[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/transition-words6.mp3|titles=transition words]
1 终於 zhōngyú finally,

他终於把功课做完了。
tā zhōngyú bǎ gōngkè zuòwán le .
He finally finished doing homework.

2 总言之 zǒng yán zhī to summarize, to sum up, in summary

总言之，他写的小说真是太精采了。
zǒng yán zhī , tā xiě de xiǎoshuō zhēnshì tài jīngcǎile .
To sum up, the novel he wrote is really brilliant.

3 总之 zǒngzhī in short, overall, considering, in a word

总之，这家店的东西太贵了，我们去别家买吧。
zǒngzhī , zhè jiā diàn de dōngxi tài guì le , wǒmen qù biéjiā mǎi ba .
In short, the things of this store are too expensive, let’s go buy at other store.

4 总体上说 zǒngtǐ shàng shuō generally speaking

总体上说她的成绩还不错。
zǒngtǐ shàng shuō tā de chéngjì hái bù cuò .
Generally speaking, her grades are not bad.

5 简言之 jiǎnyánzhī in short, in brief

简言之这所学校的学生都很优秀。
jiǎnyánzhī zhè suǒ xuéxiào de xuésheng dōu hěn yōuxiù .
In short, this school’s students all are very excellent.

6 因此 yīncǐ as a result, therefore, hence, for this reason, consequently,
他非常生气，因此他一去不回。
tā fēicháng shēngqì , yīncǐ tā yī qù bù huí .
He was very angry, as a result, he left and never came back.

Well, this is a grammar post, but still need to find a song …

Hawthorne Heights – The transition lyrics

The power to change — Les Brown