因此
yīncǐ · HSK 3
therefore
➡️ 因 = cause + 此 = this; 'this cause' → therefore
因 means cause or reason; 此 means this. Together 'because of this' = therefore/consequently. Common sentence connector: 'A, 因此 B' means 'A, therefore B'.
因 — enclosure 囗 + big 大
因 originally pictured a person (大) lying on a mat or cushion, shown by the surrounding box (囗). The original sense was 'mat' or 'to rely on,' which extended to 'cause,' 'reason,' and 'because of.' The 'mat' meaning was later written with 茵.
此 — foot 止 + spoon/person 匕
此 originally depicted a person (匕) standing with a foot (止), suggesting 'to stop here' or 'this place.' Over time the meaning generalized from a specific location to the demonstrative pronoun 'this.' The foot component still hints at the original sense of standing in a particular spot.