Formal vs. informal register differences
HSK-4阅读中经常出现正式书面语。识别以下对比是核心技能：
| 正式 (书面) | 口语 (日常) | 意思 |
|------------|------------|------|
| 由于 | 因为 | because |
| 此 | 这 | this |
| 已 | 已经 | already |
| 勿 / 请勿 | 不要 / 别 | don't |
| 对于 | 对 | regarding |
| 进行 | 做 / 搞 | conduct/do |
| 此外 | 另外 | besides |
| 然而 | 但是 | however |
| 表示 | 说 | express/say |
| 协助 | 帮助/帮忙 | assist |
通知、合同、新闻报道用正式语体；朋友对话用口语。
✅ 告示: 请勿在此吸烟。(Notice: No smoking here.)
✅ 对话: 你别在这里抽烟。(Conversation: Don't smoke here.)
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 此次活动将于下周六正式开幕，欢迎各界人士踊跃参与。 | Cǐ cì huó dòng jiāng yú xià zhōu liù zhèng shì kāi mù, huān yíng gè jiè rén shì yǒng yuè cān yǔ. | This event will officially open next Saturday; all members of the public are warmly welcome to participate. | 此次 (this time — formal) vs 这次 (colloquial); 踊跃参与 is formal written Chinese |
| 由于行程变化，本次会议已延期至下月初举行，敬请谅解。 | Yóu yú xíng chéng biàn huà, běn cì huì yì yǐ yán qī zhì xià yuè chū jǔ xíng, jìng qǐng liàng jiě. | Due to schedule changes, this meeting has been postponed to the beginning of next month; we sincerely ask for your understanding. | 正式连锁: 由于 (formal because) + 本次 (formal 'this') + 已 (formal 'already') + 敬请 (formal 'please') |
| 这次考试已经结束了，但是我感觉没考好，有点担心。 | Zhè cì kǎo shì yǐ jīng jié shù le, dàn shì wǒ gǎn jué méi kǎo hǎo, yǒu diǎn dān xīn. | The exam is already over, but I feel I didn't do well — a bit worried. | 口语风格: 这次 / 已经 / 但是 / 感觉 — all colloquial forms of the same ideas |
What you need first
Every topic in GraphChinese names its own prerequisites, and these are the grammar points this one is built on. If a sentence here will not parse, one of them is why.
What this opens up
These patterns list Formal vs. informal register differences among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
Formal vs. informal register differences is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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