事由 (shì yóu) — cause or reason (formal); subject line of a document or letter; job duty or work matter

Definition

Formal noun covering 'reason/cause', the 'subject' line of a letter or email, and 'job duty'. Used in written/official contexts; for everyday 'reason' prefer 原因.

noun
cause or reason (formal)subject line of a document or letterjob duty or work matter

Examples

  • 事由。
    shì yóu Bù míng de huǒ zāi hái zài diào chá zhōng.
    The fire whose cause is unclear is still under investigation.
  • 事由。
    Qǐng zài yóu jiàn biāo tí lán xiě míng shì yóu.
    Please state the subject in the email subject line.
  • 事由。
    Tā de zhǔ yào shì yóu shì kè hù guān xì guǎn lǐ.
    His main job duty is customer relationship management.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

事shìmatter
由yóureason

事 names the matter, 由 gives its reason, so 事由 means the reason or subject of a matter.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

In 事, 又 is a hand and 中 is a flagpole with a drum; holding a flag in hand depicts performing a job.

Open 事 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

It began as a drawing of new shoots or leaves growing upward from a plant-like base.

Open 由 →

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