不由自主

bùyóu-zìzhǔ

idiom HSK 7-9 #15,376

Meanings

1 involuntarily; can't help oneself
2 beyond one's own control

Characters

to be up to; by

to be master of; to control

Literally 'not up to oneself to be master' — you can't control your own actions or reactions.

Examples

她不由自主地流下了眼泪。

Tā bùyóu-zìzhǔ de liúxià le yǎnlèi.

She involuntarily shed tears.

听到音乐，他不由自主地跳起舞来。

Tīngdào yīnyuè, tā bùyóu-zìzhǔ de tiào qǐ wǔ lái.

Hearing the music, he couldn't help but start dancing.

我不由自主地被她吸引了。

Wǒ bùyóu-zìzhǔ de bèi tā xīyǐn le.

I was drawn to her involuntarily.

Tips

usage

不由自主 emphasizes loss of bodily or emotional control — your actions happen against your will. Compare with 不由得, which is similar but often describes a mental reaction (can't help thinking/feeling), while 不由自主 more often describes physical reactions (body moving on its own).

Stroke Order

不 bù

由 yóu

自 zì

主 zhǔ