不由 (bù yóu) — cannot help; cannot but; involuntarily

Definition

不由 (bùyóu) is an adverb meaning 'can't help / involuntarily', used before a verb to show an action happens on its own. Usually seen in the set phrase 由…不由… or followed by 地, e.g. 不由地笑了起来.

adverb
cannot helpcannot butinvoluntarily

Examples

  • ，不由。
    Tīng dào zhè ge hǎo xiāo xi, tā bù yóu lù chū le xiào róng.
    He heard the good news and couldn't help showing a smile.
  • ，不由。
    Kàn dào hái zi shòu shāng, mǔ qīn bù yóu liú xià yǎn lèi.
    Seeing the child injured, the mother couldn't help shedding tears.
  • 不由。
    Tā bù yóu dì tàn le kǒu qì.
    He couldn't help but sigh.

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.

不bùnot
由yóufollow

不 (“not”) + 由 (“follow”) gives the sense of not being able to follow one’s will.

Characters in this word

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

The picture in 不 originally showed a flower’s calyx; the “no” sense came later from a related character, not from this picture.

Open 不 →

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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