由

yóu

HSK 4

由 — yóu

1. from; indicating origin or source

   这封信是由北京寄来的。 zhè fēngxìn shì yóu běijīng jìlái de — This letter was sent from Beijing.

2. because of; due to (indicating cause or reason)

   由于下雨，比赛被取消了。 yóuyú xiàyǔ bǐsài bèi qǔxiāo le — Due to the rain, the match was canceled.

3. by; via; through (indicating means or agent)

   消息是由朋友告诉我的。 xiāoxī shì yóu péngyǒu gàosù wǒ de — The news was told to me by a friend.

4. to follow

   由此可见，他很有经验。 yóucǐkějiàn tā hěn yǒu jīngyàn — From this it can be seen that he is very experienced.

5. (grammatical) placed before a noun or verb to mark the actor/agent or introduce a passive/causative construction ('it is for ... to ...')

   这件事由他来处理比较合适。 zhèjiàn shìyóu tā lái chǔlǐ bǐjiào héshì — It's more appropriate for him to handle this matter.