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

HSK 3

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.

HSK 7-9

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