Preposition 随着 (along with, as)
随着 (along with, as) at HSK 5 adds the written pattern 随着…而…, where the change in the 随着 part and the result are joined by 而 with no extra comma. It also takes abstract phrases such as 随着…的普及 and 随着…的加剧.
In English
随着 means "along with" or "as", and it introduces a process of change that keeps going. The usual form is 随着 plus a noun phrase such as 经济的发展, followed by the result. A tighter, more written form is 随着…而…, as in 收入随着经验的积累而提高.
随着 is different from 由于: 随着 describes a trend that unfolds over time, while 由于 gives one clear cause. For social or technical trends, 随着 sounds more natural than 由于.
HSK5深化用法：
1. 随着…而… — 更书面/紧凑的结构，把随着从句与结果动词直接用'而'连接，不用逗号重复主语：他的收入随着经验的积累而不断提高。
2. 随着 + 抽象名词化短语：随着…的普及 (becoming widespread)、…的加剧 (worsening/intensifying)、…的提高 (improving) — 名词化短语要根据搭配选择合适的动词。
3. 随着 vs 由于：随着 = 并行的持续变化过程；由于 = 单一、明确的原因。描述一个持续演变的社会/科技趋势时，随着比由于更自然。
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 他的收入随着经验的积累而不断提高。 | Tā de shōu rù suí zhe jīng yàn de jī lěi ér bù duàn tí gāo. | His income keeps rising along with his growing experience. | 随着…而… is a compact, literary variant that attaches the result verb directly with 而, without repeating the subject after a comma. |
| 随着环保意识的普及，越来越多的人开始骑自行车上班。 | Suí zhe huán bǎo yì shí de pǔ jí, yuè lái yuè duō de rén kāi shǐ qí zì xíng chē shàng bān. | As environmental awareness has become widespread, more and more people are starting to bike to work. | 随着 + abstract nominalized phrase (…的普及) — the noun phrase names a whole social process, not just a simple action. |
| 随着竞争的加剧，企业不得不不断创新以求生存。 | Suí zhe jìng zhēng de jiā jù, qǐ yè bù dé bù bù duàn chuàng xīn yǐ qiú shēng cún. | As competition intensifies, companies have no choice but to keep innovating to survive. | 加剧 (intensify/worsen) collocates with negative/escalating trends, combined here with the exam-level structure 不得不…以求… |
Word by word
Each word in this pattern on its own: what it does here, the structure, three more examples, and the mistake to avoid.
随着 (suí zhe)
Introduces a process of change, and the main clause gives what changes along with it.
Structure: 随着 + a change + 的 + noun，result
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 随着天气变冷，感冒的人越来越多。 | Suí zhe tiān qì biàn lěng, gǎn mào de rén yuè lái yuè duō. | As the weather gets colder, more and more people catch colds. |
| 随着网络的发展，我们在家就能办很多事情。 | Suí zhe wǎng luò de fā zhǎn, wǒ men zài jiā jiù néng bàn hěn duō shì qíng. | With the development of the internet, we can do many things from home. |
| 孩子的兴趣随着年龄的变化而变化。 | Hái zi de xìng qù suí zhe nián líng de biàn huà ér biàn huà. | A child's interests change as the child grows older. |
Not: 随着我很忙，所以没去。 随着 introduces a gradual change, not a single reason. Use 因为 or 由于: 因为我很忙，所以没去。
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 4, prepositions (引出时间、处所).
随着 is also explained in: 随着: along with / as…progresses (HSK 4).
由于 (yóu yú)
Gives one clear cause for the result, and is more formal than 因为.
Structure: 由于 + cause，(所以) + result
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 由于天气不好，航班推迟了两个小时。 | Yóu yú tiān qì bù hǎo, háng bān tuī chí le liǎng gè xiǎo shí. | Because of bad weather, the flight was delayed by two hours. |
| 由于时间有限，今天的会议就开到这里。 | Yóu yú shí jiān yǒu xiàn, jīn tiān de huì yì jiù kāi dào zhè lǐ. | Time is short, so today's meeting ends here. |
| 由于工作调动，他下个月要搬到上海。 | Yóu yú gōng zuò diào dòng, tā xià gè yuè yào bān dào shàng hǎi. | Because of a job transfer, he will move to Shanghai next month. |
Not: 由于下班，我回家了。 由于 needs a clause that works as a cause, not a bare action. Say 下班以后，我回家了。
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 4, conjunctions (连接分句或句子); level 4, prepositions (引出原因).
由于 is also explained in: Prepositions of Cause & Purpose: 由于, 因为, 为了 (HSK 3) · Formal vs. informal register differences (HSK 4) · 由于/因为 (formal): due to (HSK 4).
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 Preposition 随着 (along with, as) among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
Questions about Preposition 随着 (along with, as)
What does 介词 (Preposition 随着 (along with, as)) mean in Chinese?
随着 (along with, as) at HSK 5 adds the written pattern 随着…而…, where the change in the 随着 part and the result are joined by 而 with no extra comma. It also takes abstract phrases such as 随着…的普及 and 随着…的加剧. It is an HSK 5 grammar point.
How do you use 介词 (Preposition 随着 (along with, as)) in a sentence?
他的收入随着经验的积累而不断提高。 — Tā de shōu rù suí zhe jīng yàn de jī lěi ér bù duàn tí gāo. — His income keeps rising along with his growing experience. 随着…而… is a compact, literary variant that attaches the result verb directly with 而, without repeating the subject after a comma.
What do you need to know before 介词 (Preposition 随着 (along with, as))?
随着 (HSK 4). This pattern is built out of them, so a sentence here that will not parse usually means one of them has not landed yet.
What does 介词 (Preposition 随着 (along with, as)) lead to?
Prepositions of Time, Place, Direction and Object (HSK 6). Each of them names 介词 (Preposition 随着 (along with, as)) among its own prerequisites.
When do I use 随着 and when 由于?
Use 随着 for a change that keeps developing: 随着生活水平的提高. Use 由于 for one clear reason: 由于下雨，比赛取消了。
What does 随着…而… do?
It ties two changes together in one tight sentence: 价格随着需求的增加而上涨。 You do not need a comma or a repeated subject.
Preposition 随着 (along with, as) 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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