凭借...
Reach for 凭借 when you want to name the means, ability, or asset that made something possible — 'by virtue of,' 'relying on,' 'thanks to.' Formal and written, common in news ('the team won the championship by virtue of strong defense'), business writing ('the company rose by leveraging its tech edge'), and award announcements ('she won the prize on the strength of her novel'). It introduces a noun phrase that explains the basis of an accomplishment. Avoid in casual speech — use 靠 there instead.
Structure
Subject + 凭借 + Noun Phrase + Verb Phrase / Result
píng jiè
How to Think About It
凭借 spotlights the resource behind a result. Think of it as the answer to 'on what basis did X happen?' — and the answer is a concrete asset: a skill, a connection, a tool, a piece of work. The structure expects an outcome clause to follow: 'by means of X, achieved Y.' Without the outcome, the sentence feels incomplete. 凭借 itself sets up the cause; the main clause delivers the effect.
Examples
他凭借多年的经验解决了这个问题。
Tā píng jiè duō nián de jīng yàn jiě jué le zhè ge wèn tí.
He solved the problem on the strength of many years of experience.
这部电影凭借出色的剧本获得了大奖。
Zhè bù diàn yǐng píng jiè chū sè de jù běn huò dé le dà jiǎng.
The film won the top award thanks to its outstanding screenplay.
公司凭借先进的技术在市场上保持领先。
Gōng sī píng jiè xiān jìn de jì shù zài shì chǎng shàng bǎo chí lǐng xiān.
The company stays ahead in the market by leveraging advanced technology.
她凭借自己的努力，从普通员工成长为公司经理。
Tā píng jiè zì jǐ de nǔ lì, cóng pǔ tōng yuán gōng chéng zhǎng wéi gōng sī jīng lǐ.
Through her own hard work, she rose from a regular employee to company manager.
Common Mistake
Learners use 凭借 with a bare verb after it, copying English 'by doing X.' 凭借 takes a noun or noun phrase. For 'by working hard,' use the nominalized 努力 (the effort). If you really need a verbal action, switch to 通过.
她凭借学习很努力进了好大学。
她凭借自己的努力进了好大学。
Don't Confuse With
靠...
靠 is the casual, spoken cousin of 凭借. Same meaning, different register. Use 靠 in conversation, 凭借 in formal writing, news, or speeches.
通过...
通过 emphasizes the method or process ('through doing X'). 凭借 emphasizes the underlying asset or quality ('on the strength of X'). 通过努力 = through effort (process); 凭借努力 = by virtue of effort (the quality).
依靠...
依靠 is also formal and means 'rely on,' often with a continuing relationship (rely on a partner, rely on technology). 凭借 zooms in on the moment of achievement; 依靠 describes an ongoing dependence.
Practice
Fill in: 他____自己的实力赢得了比赛。
Show answer
凭借
Translate to Chinese: She entered Peking University on the strength of her excellent grades.
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她凭借优秀的成绩进入了北京大学。
Arrange: 凭借 / 出色的表现 / 她 / 得到了 / 这份工作
Show answer
她凭借出色的表现得到了这份工作。
Use 凭借 to describe how someone achieved an important goal.
Show answer
他凭借多年的研究，终于发表了重要的论文。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 凭借... in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
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