如此……以至于……
Reach for this when something is so extreme that it triggers a notable consequence — 'so [adj/verb] that [result].' 如此 marks the intensity; 以至于 introduces the result it produces. This is the heavyweight version of 'so... that...': formal, often analytical, and used in essays or commentary to show that the cause is strong enough to force the outcome. 'So strong that there is no third contender' is a classic move.
Structure
[SUBJECT] 如此 [ADJ/STATE], 以至于 [RESULT]
rúcǐ... yǐzhìyú...
How to Think About It
如此 means 'to such an extent'; 以至于 means 'to the point that.' Together they bracket a cause and its consequence, with the implication that the cause was extreme enough to force the result. The construction is asymmetric — 如此 modifies an intensity, 以至于 introduces a clause. Don't try to drop 如此 and just use 以至于 alone; the first half needs the intensifier for the result to feel earned.
Examples
这两部电影的统治力如此之强, 以至于我们很难找到第三个竞争者。
Zhè liǎng bù diànyǐng de tǒngzhìlì rúcǐ zhī qiáng, yǐzhìyú wǒmen hěn nán zhǎodào dì sān ge jìngzhēngzhě.
These two films are so dominant that it's hard to find a third serious contender.
他工作如此努力, 以至于忘了吃饭。
Tā gōngzuò rúcǐ nǔlì, yǐzhìyú wàng le chī fàn.
He worked so hard that he forgot to eat.
这个问题如此复杂, 以至于专家也无法给出答案。
Zhège wèntí rúcǐ fùzá, yǐzhìyú zhuānjiā yě wúfǎ gěi chū dá'àn.
This problem is so complex that even experts can't provide an answer.
Common Mistake
Learners mix 以至于 with 以致 or just use 所以 here. 以致 has a slightly negative flavor ('with the bad result that...'); 所以 is plain cause-and-effect. 以至于 specifically marks 'to such an extent that' and pairs with 如此.
他如此努力, 所以累倒了。
他如此努力, 以至于累倒了。
Don't Confuse With
这么/那么 + Adj + 以致 + Result
Same general idea, but 这么/那么 is more spoken and 以致 leans toward negative consequences. 如此...以至于... is the formal, neutral version.
因为...所以...
Plain cause-and-effect without any intensity claim. Use 因为...所以... when the cause is simply 'a reason'; use 如此...以至于... when the cause is EXTREME enough to force the result.
...得 + Result
The 得 complement also expresses 'so much that' (累得说不出话). Use 得 inside a single clause; 如此...以至于... spans two clauses with a clearer logical bridge.
Practice
这两部电影的统治力 ___ 之强, 以至于我们很难找到第三个竞争者。
Show answer
如此
他工作如此努力, ___ 忘了吃饭。
Show answer
以至于
Arrange: [如此 / 以至于 / 复杂 / 无法 / 这个问题 / 专家 / 给出答案 / 也]
Show answer
这个问题如此复杂, 以至于专家也无法给出答案。
Translate to Chinese: 'The traffic was so bad that we missed the flight.'
Show answer
交通如此糟糕, 以至于我们错过了航班。
Write one sentence using 如此...以至于... describing a situation that was extreme enough to cause an unexpected result.
Show answer
Example answer: 这首歌如此动人, 以至于很多观众都流下了眼泪。 (The song was so moving that many in the audience were brought to tears.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 如此……以至于…… in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start, no card.