Dictionary › 由

由

yóu

Old HSK 4 HSK 3.0 character level 4 Character

由 (yóu) means "by; from (marks the responsible agent)". It is an HSK 3.0 level 4 word, and was HSK 4 in the old six-level list.

What 由 means

1. to follow
2. from
3. because of; due to
4. by; via; through
5. (before a noun and a verb) it is for ... to ...

How 由 is used in grammar

由 is a grammar word. Each link goes to its own section: what it does in that pattern, the structure, three example sentences with pinyin, and the mistake to avoid.

• Prepositions of Time & Place: 自从, 由, 从…起 (HSK 3)
• Agent Prepositions: 将、由 (HSK 5)

The official HSK 3.0 grammar outline lists it at level 4, prepositions (引出施事、受事); level 4, prepositions (引出时间、处所).

Example sentences

• 由我来做.
  I'll see to it.
• 由你决定。
  How ever you like.
• 自由有价。
  One must pay for freedom.
• 由着你吧。
  As you wish.
• 我自由了！
  I'm free!
• 由你来决定。
  It is up to you.

Words starting with 由

• 由于yóu yúdue to; as a result of; thanks to
• 由此yóu cǐhereby; from this
• 由衷yóu zhōngheartfelt; sincere; unfeigned
• 由此可见yóu cǐ kě jiànfrom this, it can be seen that...
• 由来yóu láiorigin
• 由着yóu zhelet (one) have his way; as (one) pleases; at (one's) will
• 由不得yóu bu decannot help; to be beyond control of
• 由此看来yóu cǐ kàn láithereby; judging from this
• 由头yóu toupretext; excuse; justification
• 由表及里yóu biǎo jí lǐto proceed from the outside to the inside; to see the essence merely by looking at the…
• 由径yóu jìngto follow a narrow path
• 由怜生爱yóu lián shēng àito develop love for sb out of pity for them
• 由盛转衰yóu shèng zhuǎn shuāifrom prosperity to decline; at its peak before the decline
• 由旬yóu xúnyojana (Vedic measure, about 8 miles)
• 由俭入奢易，由奢入俭难yóu jiǎn rù shē yì , yóu shē rù jiǎn nán(idiom) it is easy to go from frugality to extravagance; the reverse is not so easy

Words containing 由

• 自由zì yóufreedom; liberty; free; unrestricted
• 理由lǐ yóureason; grounds; justification
• 不由得bù yóu decan't help; cannot but
• 不由bù yóucan't help (doing sth)
• 不由自主bù yóu zì zhǔ(idiom) can't help but; involuntarily
• 自由主义zì yóu zhǔ yìliberalism
• 自由自在zì yóu zì zàifree and easy (idiom); carefree; leisurely
• 任由rèn yóuto let (sb do sth); to allow; regardless of
• 经由jīng yóuvia
• 缘由yuán yóureason; cause
• 自由化zì yóu huàliberalization; freeing (from sth)
• 路由器lù yóu qìrouter (computing)
• 不由分说bù yóu fēn shuōto allow no explanation
• 身不由己shēn bù yóu jǐ(idiom) (of one's circumstances) beyond one's control; unable to do anything about it…
• 自由市场zì yóu shì chǎngfree market
• 听天由命tīng tiān yóu mìng(idiom) to submit to the will of heaven; to resign oneself to fate; to trust to luck
• 来由lái yóureason; cause
• 没来由méi lái yóuwithout any reason; for no reason
• 自由派zì yóu pàiliberal
• 事由shì yóumain content; matter; work
• 自由度zì yóu dù(number of) degrees of freedom (physics and statistics)
• 自由亚洲电台Zì yóu Yà zhōu Diàn táiRadio Free Asia
• 言不由衷yán bù yóu zhōngto say sth without meaning it (idiom); to speak tongue in cheek…
• 自由职业者zì yóu zhí yè zhěself-employed professional; independent practitioner

Characters that look like 由

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 田tiánfield; farm
• 甲jiǎfirst of the ten Heavenly Stems 十天干; (used for an unspecified person or thing)…
• 申shēnto extend; to state; to explain
• 向xiàngtowards; to face; to turn towards
• 办bànto take care of (a matter); to deal with (a task, procedure etc); to organize (an event)…
• 击jīto hit; to strike; to break

Sounds the same

Read yóu, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 游to swim; variant of 游
• 邮post (office); mail
• 尤outstanding; particularly, especially; a fault
• 油oil; fat; grease
• 犹as if; (just) like; just as
• 疣nodule; wart
• 铀uranium (chemistry); Taiwan pr. yòu
• 猷to plan; to scheme
• 鱿(bound form) squid
• 蝣used in 蜉蝣
• 楢Quercus glandulifera
• 逌distant; joyous; satisfied

Where 由 is taught

In the GraphChinese course it is part of Cause, effect & logic (HSK 4), each one a topic in the dependency graph of HSK 1–6 that opens only once its prerequisites are solid.

Go deeper

• Every HSK 4 word, with the rest of its level.
• How characters are built from components.
• How to learn Chinese characters.
• The four tones and the neutral tone, to read yóu correctly.
• Look up another word in the free dictionary.