用…
yòng
In Chinese, 'by' can be expressed in several ways depending on the context, most commonly as 用… (yòng) Wiktionary also lists 由… (yóu).
Meaning: indicates a means (prep)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 用… | yòng |
| 由… | yóu |
In Chinese, the translation of 'by' depends on whether you are referring to a tool, a person or a path. 用… is used when 'by' refers to a physical tool, instrument or a specific method used to perform an action. 由… is used when 'by' indicates the agent or person responsible for an action. For formal contexts involving passing through or via a medium, you may also use 经由 or 透过.
Which one should you use?
用… is the common way to say 'by' when it means 'using' a tool or instrument. In contrast, 由… is used when 'by' indicates the agent or person responsible for an action, often appearing in formal or passive constructions.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 用 functions both as a verb meaning 'to use' and as a preposition meaning 'with' or 'by means of'.
How do you pronounce it?
yòng
Did you know?
- The word 由 can also indicate a starting point in space or time, meaning 'from', which is a completely different conceptual use than the agentive 'by'.
- While English often uses 'by' in passive voice, Chinese avoids the passive 由… construction in casual speech because it can sound overly formal or cold.
- The word 由 not only indicates who is responsible for an action but can also mean 'due to' or 'because of' when explaining a cause.
Examples in context
- 我靠窗户坐着 (Wǒ kào chuānghù zuòzhe)I sit by the window.
- 我用手机拍照 (Wǒ yòng shǒujī pāizhào)I take photos with my phone.
- 我用水洗蔬菜 (Wǒ yòng shuǐ xǐ shūcài)I wash vegetables with water.
- 他凭直觉做出了决定 (Tā píng zhíjué zuò chūle juédìng)He made the decision based on his intuition.
- 我凭记忆找到了那家店 (Wǒ píng jìyì zhǎodàole nà jiā diàn)I found that shop by relying on my memory.
- 由于天气不好，我们取消了计划 (Yóuyú tiānqì bù hǎo, wǒmen qǔxiāole jìhuà)We canceled our plans due to bad weather.
- 用中文说Say it in Chinese
- 由他负责Be responsible by him / handled by him
Sources
- Wiktionary, “by” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
