导致... / 造成...
Reach for these two verbs when one event triggers a serious or unwanted consequence. Both translate roughly as 'cause' or 'lead to,' and both belong in news, reports, and analytical writing rather than casual chat. The split is subtle: 导致 frames the chain of events that produced the result, while 造成 zooms in on the damage or loss itself. In most sentences they are interchangeable, but 造成 prefers tangible harm (losses, injuries, pollution) and 导致 prefers process-driven outcomes (shortages, delays, conflicts).
Structure
[CAUSE] 导致 / 造成 [NEGATIVE RESULT].
dǎozhì / zàochéng
How to Think About It
导 = 'lead, guide' + 致 = 'reach, bring about,' so 导致 paints a path from cause to result. 造 = 'make' + 成 = 'into,' so 造成 emphasizes the damage that gets MADE. Use 导致 when you want the listener to see the chain; use 造成 when you want them to feel the wreckage. Either way, both verbs come pre-loaded with a 'bad news' tone — they almost never collocate with a happy outcome.
Examples
暴雨造成了严重的财产损失。
Bàoyǔ zàochéng le yánzhòng de cáichǎn sǔnshī.
The heavy rain caused severe property loss.
供应链中断导致原材料短缺。
Gōngyìngliàn zhōngduàn dǎozhì yuáncáiliào duǎnquē.
Supply chain disruption led to a shortage of raw materials.
工厂排放污水造成了河流污染。
Gōngchǎng páifàng wūshuǐ zàochéng le héliú wūrǎn.
The factory's wastewater discharge caused river pollution.
Common Mistake
Learners pair them with positive results, or attach 让/使 inside the same clause. Both verbs already carry the causal force; you do not add another causative.
这场雨导致让作物长得很好。
这场雨让作物长得很好。
Don't Confuse With
引起...
引起 ('to give rise to') is closer to attention/reaction (引起关注/讨论). 导致/造成 specifically point to a substantial consequence.
使 / 让...
使/让 are neutral causatives ('make someone do/feel'), good for emotions or actions. 导致/造成 want event-scale outcomes.
带来...
带来 ('to bring') is tone-neutral and works for both good and bad results (带来希望/带来麻烦). 导致/造成 lean negative.
Practice
Fill in the blank with 导致 or 造成: 这次事故 ___ 了重大伤亡。
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造成
Fill in the blank with 导致 or 造成: 决策失误 ___ 公司损失惨重。
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导致
Arrange into a sentence: 干旱 / 减产 / 造成 / 长期 / 大面积
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长期干旱造成大面积减产。
Translate to Chinese: The strike led to a delay in shipments.
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罢工导致货物延迟交付。
Write one sentence in which a problem causes a serious result, using 导致 or 造成.
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服务器宕机造成了大量用户无法登录。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: