不由

bùyóu

adverb #22,078

Meanings

1 can't help but
2 involuntarily
3 without being able to stop oneself

Characters

by, from, through (expressing agency or cause)

Examples

看到这个消息，她不由笑了起来。

Kàndào zhège xiāoxi, tā bùyóu xiào le qǐlái.

Seeing this news, she couldn't help but laugh.

他不由想起了童年的往事。

Tā bùyóu xiǎngqǐ le tóngnián de wǎngshì.

He involuntarily recalled memories from childhood.

Tips

grammar

不由 is a literary/formal variant of 不由得 and 不由自主. It typically precedes a verb directly: 不由笑了 (couldn't help laughing). In spoken language, 忍不住 is more natural.

Stroke Order

不 bù

由 yóu