不由得

bùyóude

adverb HSK 7 #33,853

Meanings

1 can't help but; involuntarily
2 cannot refrain from

Characters

to be up to; to allow

structural particle

Literally 'not allowing oneself' — your body or emotions act before your mind can control them.

Examples

她不由得笑了起来。

Tā bùyóude xiào le qǐlái.

She couldn't help but laugh.

看到这个消息，我不由得担心起来。

Kàndào zhège xiāoxi, wǒ bùyóude dānxīn qǐlái.

Seeing this news, I couldn't help but worry.

听到那首歌，他不由得想起了过去。

Tīngdào nà shǒu gē, tā bùyóude xiǎngqǐ le guòqù.

Hearing that song, he couldn't help but think of the past.

Tips

grammar

不由得 is synonymous with 不禁 (bùjīn) and 忍不住 (rěnbuzhù), all meaning 'can't help but.' 不由得 is slightly more literary, 忍不住 is more colloquial, and 不禁 is the most formal and written.

Stroke Order

不 bù

由 yóu

得 dé