归功于
to owe (a success) to; give the credit to
Structure
成绩 归功于 原因／人 ； 把 成绩 归功于 原因／人
What it means
Gives the credit for a good result to a cause or a person: A 归功于 B means A is owed to B. Read it guī gōng yú.
How it is built
Result + 归功于 + cause/person, or 把 + result + 归功于 + cause/person: 他把成功归功于母亲的鼓励 (he credits his success to his mother's encouragement).
When to use it
Formal: news, speeches, reports. Modest speakers pass credit on with 这要归功于大家的努力. In speech 多亏了 or 靠的是 sounds more natural.
Watch out
Only for good results. ✗ 把失败归功于运气不好。 ✓ 把失败归咎于运气不好。 For blame use 归咎于 (guī jiù yú) or 怪.
Examples
分析人士多把这次成功归功于李书福的深谋远虑。
Analysts mostly credit the success to Li Shufu’s far-sighted planning.
他把自己的成功归功于母亲从小的鼓励。
He puts his success down to his mother’s encouragement from childhood.
这几年空气变好，很大程度上要归功于工厂的搬迁和改造。
The cleaner air of recent years is owed largely to the relocation and upgrading of factories.
Learn this in Lesson 185 · HSK 7–9: 吉利收购沃尔沃 (Geely buys Volvo)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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