不由自主

bùyóuzìzhǔ

idiom HSK 7 #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 bùyóuzìzhǔ 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 bùyóuzìzhǔ 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 bùyóuzìzhǔ 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