<p>导 (lead) ; 致 (reach)</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>导致 = (lead to) <strong>cause</strong> </p>
</blockquote>

<p>促 (induce); 使 (make)</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>促使 = (induce and make) <strong>to push</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p>~</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"<em>someone's arrogance and impulsion <strong>contributed</strong> to his failure</em>"</p>
</blockquote>

<p>'contributed' means 'helped' -- '导致 (lead to)' and "促使 (push)" are two different form of 'helping' something to happen, therefore, 导致 or 促使 are both acceptable in "张三的自负和冲动导致/促使了他的失败。" </p>

<p>If you want a strict word to word translation, you can use '作出贡献', but '贡献' in Chinese only denote contribution to 'positive result' For example: "对社会作出贡献" (contribute to society); but you cannot say "对失败作出贡献" (contribute to failure) unless this negative result is a good thing, for example: "對纳粹滅亡作出贡献" (contributed to the destruction of the Nazis)</p>

<p>导致 and 促使 doesn't have this problem, they can be used to describe contribution to 'positive or negative result'</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-27T12:50:40.783Z
2018-10-27T12:50:40.783Z
Tang Ho
<p>导致 implies “direct” cause. 促使 is more like “contributed to” in English. For this particular example, it’s better to use 促使</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-28T07:58:22.003Z
2020-05-02T01:10:03.750Z
2020-05-02T01:10:03.750Z
cherriz
<p>In this case, <strong>助力</strong> is better to interpret "<em>contribute to</em>". 导致 and 促使 imply that arrogance and impulsion are the sufficient condition to lead to his failure. Well, "contribute to" doesn't imply a sufficient condition. In other words, his arrogance and impulsion are not the only reason to lead to his failure.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"someone's arrogance and impulsion contributed to his failure," // 张三的自负和冲动助力了他的失败。</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-27T14:42:40.990Z
助力 cannot be used as a verb in Mandarin.
Apollyon
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-27T14:45:46.650Z
@Apollyon, why not? I heard of lots of examples, like 他对于促进双方的协作助力不少；他的工作对于救灾助力甚大。他的工作助力甚大。
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-27T14:55:35.277Z
In your just-mentioned examples, which are indeed natural, 助力 is used with a particular frame: 对于 ... 助力甚大/助力不少.  "助力甚大/助力不少" is actually like an adjective. It like saying "这本书帮助很大," meaning "the book is immensely helpful."
Apollyon
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-27T15:04:18.613Z
@Apollyon I don't feel something unnatural about 张三的自负和冲动助力了他的失败 as a native speaker. You can also say 我的工作助力了祖国的四化建设.
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-27T15:22:11.550Z
@Apollyon There are lots of examples on the web. see this example: 181. 节目中一向冷面示人的涂磊转型做温情公益大使,“沈眉庄”扮演者斓曦与“春晚常客”金玉婷等四位明星观察员助力普通人圆梦。
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-27T15:23:37.693Z
@Apollyon refer to this link for more: http://m.zaojv.com/2501151_7.html
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-27T16:46:52.247Z
I don't know why 助力 would work. I might use 导致 in the sentence in the OP. Although lots of appearances of 助力 as a verb spotted on the web. Personally speaking, I myself would not use that. One other thing, 助力 seems better to indicate positive things. In the sentence above, that is a negative meaning. 导致 as "leads to" or "contribute to" might be better.
xbh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-27T19:11:58.550Z
@xbh dosen't "contribute to" sound positive? Language is language, we can use it in a creative way. Can we use good words to describe the bad persons for some effects or vice versa?
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-27T13:51:26.300Z
2018-10-27T13:51:26.300Z
dan
<p>If we are to translate "contributed to" in "someone's arrogance and impulsion contributed to his failure," should I use 导致 or 促使?</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>张三的自负和冲动<strong>导致/促使</strong>了他的失败。</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-27T16:55:47.543Z
促使 seems a word as v.t. in english, i.e. use nouns and pronouns after the word 促使. Personally I would not say something like 促使了. When I say something like "his great dream drives him to work hard everyday", I may use 促使 as in 他远大的梦想促使他天天努力工作 [although my english sentence above would be flawed].
xbh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-28T11:46:21.677Z
How about "自负和冲动促使张三失败"? Here, "了" has been removed.
Apollyon
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-28T12:03:47.850Z
Seems okay, but i would still use 导致. Anyway, everybody has preferences.
xbh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-28T12:24:46.833Z
Don't you think 導致 means to cause something directly, whereas 促使 is more indirect?
Apollyon
<word-choice><vocabulary>
Is 导致 or 促使 better in 自负和冲动 [导致 / 促使] 了他的失败 ("arrogance and impulsion contributed to his failure")?
# Is 导致 or 促使 better in 自负和冲动 [导致 / 促使] 了他的失败 ("arrogance and impulsion contributed to his failure")?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-10-27)

If we are to translate "contributed to" in "someone's arrogance and impulsion contributed to his failure," should I use 导致 or 促使?

> 张三的自负和冲动**导致/促使**了他的失败。

**Tags:** word-choice, vocabulary
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 促使 seems a word as v.t. in english, i.e. use nouns and pronouns after the word 促使. Personally I would not say something like 促使了. When I say something like "his great dream drives him to work hard everyday", I may use 促使 as in 他远大的梦想促使他天天努力工作 [although my english sentence above would be flawed].  
> **username_0**: How about "自负和冲动促使张三失败"? Here, "了" has been removed.  
> **username_1**: Seems okay, but i would still use 导致. Anyway, everybody has preferences.  
> **username_0**: Don't you think 導致 means to cause something directly, whereas 促使 is more indirect?  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-10-27. Score: 3

导 (lead) ; 致 (reach)

> 导致 = (lead to) **cause**

促 (induce); 使 (make)

> 促使 = (induce and make) **to push**

~

> "*someone's arrogance and impulsion **contributed** to his failure*"

'contributed' means 'helped' -- '导致 (lead to)' and "促使 (push)" are two different form of 'helping' something to happen, therefore, 导致 or 促使 are both acceptable in "张三的自负和冲动导致/促使了他的失败。"

If you want a strict word to word translation, you can use '作出贡献', but '贡献' in Chinese only denote contribution to 'positive result' For example: "对社会作出贡献" (contribute to society); but you cannot say "对失败作出贡献" (contribute to failure) unless this negative result is a good thing, for example: "對纳粹滅亡作出贡献" (contributed to the destruction of the Nazis)

导致 and 促使 doesn't have this problem, they can be used to describe contribution to 'positive or negative result'


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### Answer by username_3 on 2018-10-28. Score: 2

导致 implies “direct” cause. 促使 is more like “contributed to” in English. For this particular example, it’s better to use 促使


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### Answer by username_4 on 2018-10-27. Score: 1

In this case, **助力** is better to interpret "*contribute to*". 导致 and 促使 imply that arrogance and impulsion are the sufficient condition to lead to his failure. Well, "contribute to" doesn't imply a sufficient condition. In other words, his arrogance and impulsion are not the only reason to lead to his failure.

> "someone's arrogance and impulsion contributed to his failure," // 张三的自负和冲动助力了他的失败。

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: 助力 cannot be used as a verb in Mandarin.  
> **username_4**: @Apollyon, why not? I heard of lots of examples, like 他对于促进双方的协作助力不少；他的工作对于救灾助力甚大。他的工作助力甚大。  
> **username_0**: In your just-mentioned examples, which are indeed natural, 助力 is used with a particular frame: 对于 ... 助力甚大/助力不少.  "助力甚大/助力不少" is actually like an adjective. It like saying "这本书帮助很大," meaning "the book is immensely helpful."  
> **username_4**: @Apollyon I don't feel something unnatural about 张三的自负和冲动助力了他的失败 as a native speaker. You can also say 我的工作助力了祖国的四化建设.  
> **username_4**: @Apollyon There are lots of examples on the web. see this example: 181. 节目中一向冷面示人的涂磊转型做温情公益大使,“沈眉庄”扮演者斓曦与“春晚常客”金玉婷等四位明星观察员助力普通人圆梦。  
> **username_4**: @Apollyon refer to this link for more: http://m.zaojv.com/2501151_7.html  
> **username_1**: I don't know why 助力 would work. I might use 导致 in the sentence in the OP. Although lots of appearances of 助力 as a verb spotted on the web. Personally speaking, I myself would not use that. One other thing, 助力 seems better to indicate positive things. In the sentence above, that is a negative meaning. 导致 as "leads to" or "contribute to" might be better.  
> **username_4**: @xbh dosen't "contribute to" sound positive? Language is language, we can use it in a creative way. Can we use good words to describe the bad persons for some effects or vice versa?  

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