起因

qǐyīn
  1. cause
  2. a factor (leading to an effect)

CEDICT

cause; origin

Wiktionary

事情发生的原因。如：「电线走火可能是这次火灾的起因。」也作「起由」。

重編國語辭典

  1. 事情发生的原因。
  2. 发起善愿。

維基詞典

Entry Composition

1 起 qǐ
  1. to rise
  2. to raise
  3. to get up
  4. to set out
  5. to start
  6. to appear
  7. to launch
  8. to initiate (action)
  9. to draft
  10. to establish
  11. to get (from a depot or counter)
  12. verb suffix, to start
  13. starting from (a time, place, price etc)
  14. classifier for occurrences or unpredictable events: case, instance
  15. classifier for groups: batch, group
=2 因 yīn old variant of 因 yīn
=2 因 yīn
  1. cause
  2. reason
  3. because

Related entries

来头 láitóu
  1. cause
  2. reason
  3. interest
  4. influence
原因 yuányīn
  1. cause
  2. origin
  3. root cause
  4. reason

classifier: 個

原因呢？

And what was the reason?

Source: Tatoeba

因 yīn
  1. cause
  2. reason
  3. because
我講因特語。

I speak Interlingua.

Source: Tatoeba

成因 chéngyīn
  1. cause
  2. factor
  3. cause of formation
有關癌症成因的研究耗費頗巨。

Research on the causes of cancer is very expensive.

Source: Tatoeba

缘 yuán
  1. cause
  2. reason
  3. karma
  4. fate
  5. predestined affinity
  6. margin
  7. hem
  8. edge
  9. along
繇 yóu
  1. cause
  2. means
肇因 zhàoyīn
  1. cause
  2. origin
诱因 yòuyīn
  1. cause
  2. triggering factor
  3. incentive
  4. inducement
因由 yīnyóu
  1. reason
  2. cause
  3. predestined relationship (Buddhism)
缘故 yuángù
  1. reason
  2. cause
因為我這份工作的緣故，我總是要打領帶。

I always have to wear a tie because of my job.

Source: Tatoeba

缘由 yuányóu
  1. reason
  2. cause
故典 gùdiǎn
  1. old classics
  2. old customs
  3. cause
事业 shìyè
  1. undertaking
  2. project
  3. activity
  4. (charitable, political or revolutionary) cause
  5. publicly funded institution, enterprise or foundation
  6. career
  7. occupation

classifier: 個

事业会很快重振。

Business will recover soon.

Source: Tatoeba

故 gù
  1. happening
  2. instance
  3. reason
  4. cause
  5. intentional
  6. former
  7. old
  8. friend
  9. therefore
  10. hence
  11. (of people) to die, dead
警察到达了事故现场。

The police got to the scene of the accident.

Source: Tatoeba

事由 shìyóu
  1. main content
  2. matter
  3. work
  4. origin of an incident
  5. cause
  6. purpose
  7. subject (of business letter)
原 yuán
  1. former
  2. original
  3. primary
  4. raw
  5. level
  6. cause
  7. source
我的原珠筆沒墨了。

My ballpoint pen just ran out of ink.

Source: Tatoeba

根底 gēndǐ
  1. foundation
  2. grounding
  3. background
  4. what lies at the bottom of sth
  5. root
  6. cause