鉴于 vs 出于: what is the difference?
鉴于 points to an outside fact that leads to a decision: 鉴于天气，取消活动. 出于 points to the doer's own motive: 出于好意, 出于安全考虑. Ask whether the reason is a fact in the world or a motive in someone's mind.
| Word | Pinyin | What it does | Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 鉴于 | jiàn yú | Opens a clause with the objective fact on which a decision is based: 'in view of'. | 鉴于 + fact, decision |
| 出于 | chū yú | Gives the motive behind an act: 'out of'. | 出于 + motive, verb |
鉴于 (jiàn yú)
Opens a clause with the objective fact on which a decision is based: 'in view of'.
Structure: 鉴于 + fact, decision
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 鉴于天气不好，比赛改在室内进行。 | Jiàn yú tiān qì bù hǎo, bǐ sài gǎi zài shì nèi jìn xíng. | In view of the bad weather, the match was moved indoors. |
| 鉴于他的特殊情况，学校同意延期交作业。 | Jiàn yú tā de tè shū qíng kuàng, xué xiào tóng yì yán qī jiāo zuò yè. | Given his special circumstances, the school agreed to extend the deadline. |
| 鉴于顾客的反映，商店调整了营业时间。 | Jiàn yú gù kè de fǎn yìng, shāng diàn tiáo zhěng le yíng yè shí jiān. | In view of customer feedback, the shop changed its opening hours. |
Not: 鉴于我喜欢，所以买了。 鉴于 gives an objective basis for a decision, and a personal liking is just 因为.
出于 (chū yú)
Gives the motive behind an act: 'out of'.
Structure: 出于 + motive, verb
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他出于好奇，打开了那个盒子。 | Tā chū yú hào qí, dǎ kāi le nà ge hé zi. | Out of curiosity he opened the box. |
| 出于安全考虑，请不要在这里停车。 | Chū yú ān quán kǎo lǜ, qǐng bú yào zài zhè lǐ tíng chē. | For safety reasons, please do not park here. |
| 她出于礼貌，没有拒绝他的邀请。 | Tā chū yú lǐ mào, méi yǒu jù jué tā de yāo qǐng. | Out of politeness, she did not refuse his invitation. |
Not: 出于天气不好，我们取消了。 出于 takes a motive; the weather is an external fact, which is 鉴于.
Where this comes from
The comparison is part of Prepositions of Purpose, Exclusion and Basis (HSK 6) in the grammar reference, which has the full explanation, more worked examples, and what to learn before and after it.
More pairs: 朝着 vs 向 · 从而 vs 进而 · 非…不可 vs 必须 · 格外 vs 非常 · 或多或少 vs 多多少少 · 即使…也… vs 虽然…但是… · 时而…时而… vs 一时…一时… · 阵 vs 次 · all 81 pairs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between 鉴于 and 出于?
鉴于 points to an outside fact that leads to a decision: 鉴于天气，取消活动. 出于 points to the doer's own motive: 出于好意, 出于安全考虑. Ask whether the reason is a fact in the world or a motive in someone's mind.
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