Meaning
鉴于 is a formal preposition used to introduce the reason or basis for a judgment, decision, or conclusion. It indicates that what follows is being taken into consideration as a factor influencing the main statement. This word is primarily found in written Chinese, official documents, news reports, and formal speech.
Usage
鉴于 is a formal, somewhat literary expression rarely used in casual conversation. It typically appears at the beginning of a sentence or clause to introduce background information or circumstances that justify a subsequent action or conclusion. Native speakers use it in business writing, academic papers, legal documents, and formal announcements. In everyday speech, people would more likely use 因为 (yīnwèi) or 由于 (yóuyú).
Examples
- 01鉴于天气恶劣，我们决定推迟会议。, .In view of the bad weather, we have decided to postpone the meeting.
- 02鉴于您的出色表现，公司决定给您升职。, .Given your outstanding performance, the company has decided to promote you.
Characters
Common collocations
- 鉴于此in view of this
- 鉴于以上原因in view of the above reasons
- 鉴于当前形势given the current situation
Origin
鉴 originally meant 'mirror' and evolved to mean 'to examine' or 'to reflect upon.' Combined with 于 (a classical Chinese preposition meaning 'at' or 'in'), the compound literally means 'examining/reflecting upon,' which developed into the modern meaning of 'in view of' or 'considering.'