‘导致’ is a transitive verb meaning ‘to cause’ or ‘to lead to’—typically introducing an undesirable or consequential outcome. The first character, 导 (dǎo), means ‘to guide’ or ‘to lead’, and 致 (zhì) means ‘to bring about’ or ‘to result in’. Together, they emphasize a clear causal relationship where one event, action, or condition directly produces a specific effect—often negative (e.g., illness, failure, damage) but sometimes neutral (e.g., change, improvement). It is formal and common in written Chinese, news reports, academic writing, and explanations of cause-and-effect relationships.

Grammatically, ‘导致’ must be followed by a noun phrase or clause indicating the result; it cannot stand alone. It does not take aspect particles like 了 or 过, nor does it combine with modal verbs. Unlike colloquial alternatives like 引起 or 造成, ‘导致’ strongly implies direct, often serious, causation—making it especially frequent in health, environmental, and technical contexts where precise attribution of cause matters.