以...为代价
Use this to flag a cost or sacrifice baked into something — 'at the price of X', 'at the expense of X'. The pattern signals trade-offs that the speaker thinks are problematic: progress bought by harm, gains paid for by losses. It's editorial register, common in opinion writing, policy discussion, and news analysis. Almost always carries a critical edge.
Structure
以 [SACRIFICE] 为代价
yǐ ... wéi dàijià
How to Think About It
以……为…… is a fixed frame that means 'take X as Y' — here, 'take X as the price'. The slot between 以 and 为代价 has to be the thing being given up or harmed (peace, environment, fairness, sleep). It doesn't take an actor or a clause — just a noun phrase naming what's sacrificed. The pattern always implies the speaker thinks this trade isn't worth it; if you want to praise the trade-off, use 用……换 instead.
Examples
科技进步固然重要，但不能以牺牲社会整体的正常运转为代价。
Kējì jìnbù gùrán zhòngyào, dàn bù néng yǐ xīshēng shèhuì zhěngtǐ de zhèngcháng yùnzhuǎn wéi dàijià.
Tech progress matters, but not at the cost of the normal functioning of society as a whole.
短期增长不应以环境破坏为代价。
Duǎnqī zēngzhǎng bù yīng yǐ huánjìng pòhuài wéi dàijià.
Short-term growth shouldn't come at the cost of environmental damage.
他的高分是以放弃所有业余生活为代价的。
Tā de gāofēn shì yǐ fàngqì suǒyǒu yèyú shēnghuó wéi dàijià de.
His high score came at the cost of giving up all his free time.
Common Mistake
Learners try to put a full clause between 以 and 为代价, treating it like a generic conjunction. The slot needs a clean noun phrase. To name an action being sacrificed, nominalize it (use a verb-object phrase or 牺牲 + noun).
他成功了以他每天工作十六个小时为代价。
他的成功以每天工作十六个小时为代价。
Don't Confuse With
用……换……
用 A 换 B is a neutral 'trade A for B'. 以……为代价 specifically frames the trade as costly or regrettable. Same trade, different judgment.
为了……不惜……
为了 X 不惜 Y means 'willing to do Y for the sake of X' — it foregrounds the goal. 以……为代价 foregrounds the cost. Same situation seen from opposite ends.
以……为目的
Same 以……为…… frame, but it names a goal, not a cost. 以盈利为目的 = 'with profit as the goal'. Pay attention to what the second half does — 为代价 puts X on the loss side.
Practice
Fill in the blank: 这次胜利___牺牲很多年轻人的健康为代价。
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以
Fill in the blank: 不能以破坏环境___代价来追求经济发展。
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为
Arrange: 代价 / 是 / 公平 / 这种 / 以 / 增长 / 为 / 牺牲 (This kind of growth is at the cost of fairness.)
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这种增长是以牺牲公平为代价的。
Translate to Chinese: Fast growth shouldn't come at the cost of workers' health.
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快速增长不应该以工人的健康为代价。
Use 以……为代价 to critique a trade-off you've thought about.
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很多年轻人选择长时间加班，以放弃陪家人的时间为代价，换取一份更高的工资。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 以...为代价 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.