在...背景下
Reach for 在...背景下 when you want to frame a development against a broader trend or context — 'against the backdrop of ...' or 'in the context of ...' It's a formal, written pattern that opens a sentence by placing the main event inside a wider environment. Common in news, analytical writing, and corporate reports: 'against the backdrop of trade tensions, the company decided to ...' Don't use it in casual speech — it sounds out of place.
Structure
在 [BROAD CONTEXT] 的背景下，[MAIN EVENT]
zài... de bèijǐng xià,...
How to Think About It
背景 means 'background,' and 在...下 means 'under / in.' Together they literally say 'under the background of...' — which is exactly the rhetorical move: paint the wide scene first, then place the specific event inside it. The pattern only works when the context is genuinely broad (industry trends, geopolitics, social shifts). Use it for narrow contexts and it sounds inflated.
Examples
在全球经济放缓的背景下，出口企业面临挑战。
Zài quánqiú jīngjì fànghuǎn de bèijǐng xià, chūkǒu qǐyè miànlín tiǎozhàn.
Against the backdrop of a slowing global economy, export companies face challenges.
在亚洲音乐进入西方主流的背景下，她的专辑获得了关注。
Zài Yàzhōu yīnyuè jìnrù xīfāng zhǔliú de bèijǐng xià, tā de zhuānjí huòdé le guānzhù.
Against the backdrop of Asian music entering the Western mainstream, her album drew attention.
在政策不断变化的背景下，企业需要更灵活。
Zài zhèngcè búduàn biànhuà de bèijǐng xià, qǐyè xūyào gèng línghuó.
Against the backdrop of constantly changing policies, businesses need to be more flexible.
Common Mistake
Learners drop 的 before 背景下, which breaks the modifier-noun structure. The 的 has to glue the context phrase to 背景 for the prepositional frame to hold.
在中美关系紧张背景下，公司调整了策略。
在中美关系紧张的背景下，公司调整了策略。
Don't Confuse With
在...的情况下
情况 means 'situation' — narrower and more concrete than 背景. Use 情况下 for specific circumstances; 背景下 for sweeping trends.
由于...
由于 means 'due to' — a direct cause. 在...背景下 doesn't claim causation, just contextual framing.
随着...
随着 means 'as / along with' — implies the main event develops alongside the trend. 在...背景下 freezes the trend as a backdrop; 随着 keeps it in motion.
Practice
Fill in the blank: ___ 全球经济放缓的背景下，出口企业面临挑战。
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在
Fill in the blank: 在政策不断变化的 ___ 下，企业需要更灵活。
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背景
Arrange: 背景下，/ 面临 / 出口企业 / 在 / 挑战 / 全球经济放缓的 / 。
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在全球经济放缓的背景下，出口企业面临挑战。
Translate to Chinese: Against the backdrop of changing policies, companies need to be more flexible.
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在政策不断变化的背景下，企业需要更灵活。
Write a sentence using 在...背景下 to frame a change in your industry.
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在AI快速发展的背景下，很多工作正在改变。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: