由 (yóu) is a written-register coverb with two linked jobs. As an agent marker it names who does, or is responsible for, something: 这件事由我负责 (I'm in charge of this), 会议由校长主持 (the meeting is chaired by the principal). As an origin marker it names a starting point or source: 由北到南 (from north to south), 由此可见 (from this one can see). The thread joining them is provenance — where the action, or the responsibility, comes from. English reaches for "by," "from," or "up to (someone)" depending on context, but Chinese keeps one word. 由 carries a distinctly formal / written tone, at home in announcements, contracts, notices, and instructions.
由 + agent: who is responsible ("by / up to")
The most common pattern is 由 + person/body + verb, assigning who carries out or takes charge of an action. This is not the passive — it does not say something was done to a patient; it says who does it or owns it.
这个项目由我负责，有问题直接找我。
zhège xiàngmù yóu wǒ fùzé, yǒu wèntí zhíjiē zhǎo wǒ
This project is my responsibility — if there's a problem, come straight to me. (neutral–formal)
今天的会议由王经理主持。
jīntiān de huìyì yóu Wáng jīnglǐ zhǔchí
Today's meeting is chaired by Manager Wang. (formal)
一切费用由公司承担。
yíqiè fèiyòng yóu gōngsī chéngdān
All expenses are borne by the company. (formal)
A close cousin is 由 + person + 决定 — "up to X to decide," i.e. the choice rests with that person.
去不去由你决定，我们都支持。
qù bu qù yóu nǐ juédìng, wǒmen dōu zhīchí
Whether to go is up to you — we'll support you either way. (neutral)
这件事就由他去处理吧。
zhè jiàn shì jiù yóu tā qù chǔlǐ ba
Just let him handle this. (neutral) — 由他去 = leave it to him.
由…组成: composed of
A very high-frequency frame is 由 A 组成 / 构成 — "made up of / composed of A." Here 由 marks the constituent parts as the source the whole is built from.
这支球队由十一名队员组成。
zhè zhī qiúduì yóu shíyī míng duìyuán zǔchéng
This team is made up of eleven players. (neutral)
水由氢和氧构成。
shuǐ yóu qīng hé yǎng gòuchéng
Water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen. (academic)
由 + origin: from a starting point
由 also marks a spatial or temporal origin, parallel to 从 but more formal. You meet it in fixed literary frames far more than in casual speech: 由此可见 (from this it can be seen), 由古至今 (from ancient times to now), 由浅入深 (from shallow to deep).
由此可见，这个方法是行得通的。
yóu cǐ kě jiàn, zhège fāngfǎ shì xíng de tōng de
From this we can see that the method works. (formal / written)
这门课由浅入深，很适合初学者。
zhè mén kè yóu qiǎn rù shēn, hěn shìhé chūxuézhě
This course goes from basic to advanced — great for beginners. (neutral–formal)
In everyday speech you would normally say 从这儿可以看出 rather than 由此可见; the 由 version signals an essay, report, or speech.
Register at a glance
| Written / formal (由) | Everyday equivalent | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 这事由我负责 | 这事我来管 / 我来 | I'm in charge of this |
| 由你决定 | 你说了算 / 你定 | it's up to you |
| 由此可见 | 从这儿可以看出 | from this we can see |
| 由…组成 | 是…拼起来的 | made up of… |
Common Mistakes
1. Confusing 由 (by / from) with 由于 (because of). 由于 is a causal conjunction; it never assigns an agent. Dropping the 于 changes the meaning entirely.
❌ 由天气不好，比赛取消了。
Incorrect — 'because of bad weather' needs the conjunction 由于, not the coverb 由.
✅ 由于天气不好，比赛取消了。
yóuyú tiānqì bù hǎo, bǐsài qǔxiāo le
Because of the bad weather, the match was cancelled. — 由于 for cause.
2. Using conversational 给 or 让 to assign a formal responsibility. For "X is in charge / X does it" in official register, 由 is the right marker; 给他负责 and 让他负责 shift or weaken the meaning.
❌ 这个项目给我负责。
Incorrect — assigning responsibility is 由我负责, not 给我负责 (which sounds like 'give it to me to be responsible').
✅ 这个项目由我负责。
zhège xiàngmù yóu wǒ fùzé
This project is my responsibility. — 由 assigns agency.
3. Using 由 where the patient is in focus (should be 被). If the point is that something happened to a subject, use 被, not 由.
❌ 我的自行车由人偷了。
Incorrect — patient-focus 'my bike got stolen' needs 被: 我的自行车被人偷了.
✅ 我的自行车被人偷了。
wǒ de zìxíngchē bèi rén tōu le
My bike got stolen. — 被 for the affected patient.
4. Sprinkling 由此可见 into casual chat. It's essay-and-speech register; in conversation it sounds stiff.
❌ 他没回消息，由此可见他生气了。
Too formal for chat — say 看来他生气了 ('looks like he's upset') in conversation.
✅ 看来他生气了。
kànlai tā shēngqì le
Looks like he's upset. (informal) — everyday inference.
Key Takeaways
- 由 (yóu) is a formal / written coverb with two jobs: assigning an agent / responsibility (由我负责, 由校长主持) and marking an origin (由此可见, 由北到南).
- 由 + person + verb says who is in charge or does it — the opposite focus from passive 被, which spotlights the patient.
- The frame 由…组成 / 构成 ("composed of") is high-frequency: 由十一名队员组成.
- Keep 由 (by/from) apart from 由于 (because of) — the 于 flips it from agent to cause.
- In casual speech, swap 由 for 我来 / 你定 / 从…看出 — 由 belongs to notices, reports, and speeches.
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- 从 (cóng): From (Starting Point)HSK 2 — 从 (cóng) marks a starting point in space or time — 从北京来 'come from Beijing', 从早到晚 'from morning to night', 从明天起 'starting tomorrow'. The 从-phrase precedes the verb; don't confuse it with 离 (static distance).
- The 被 PassiveHSK 3 — 被 (bèi) marks the subject as the affected party — the thing something was done TO: 杯子被他打破了 'the cup was broken by him', 我的自行车被偷了 'my bike was stolen'. It needs a completing element like 把 does, carries a flavour of adversity, and is used far less than the English passive.
- 以 (yǐ): With / By (Formal)HSK 4 — 以 (yǐ) is the formal, classical-flavored coverb for means, manner, and basis — 'with / by / according to' — surviving mainly in fixed frames: 以…为… (take X as Y), 以身作则 (lead by example), 以便 / 以免 (so as to / lest).
- 口语 vs 书面语 — The Core Register AxisHSK 4 — The central stylistic split in Chinese is 口语 (kǒuyǔ, spoken) vs 书面语 (shūmiànyǔ, written): the same idea has a casual form and a literary form. 现在 (now) vs 目前/如今; 但是 (but) vs 然而. It is not politeness — it is 'get' vs 'obtain'.