不由得
bù yóu de HSK 6

English Meaning

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📚 Example Sentences

听到这个消息,他不由得笑了。
Tīng dào zhège xiāoxi, tā bùyóude xiào le.
Hearing this news, he couldn't help but smile.
看到这场景,她不由得流泪。
Kàn dào zhè chǎngjǐng, tā bùyóude liú lèi.
Seeing this scene, she cannot help but shed tears.
他不由得想起过去的经历。
Tā bùyóude xiǎng qǐ guòqù de jīnglì.
He cannot but recall past experiences.
他不由得笑了。
Tā bùyóude xiào le.
He couldn't help but smile.
我不由得点头。
Wǒ bùyóude diǎntóu.
I couldn't help but nod.

💡 Memory Tip

Break it down: 不 (not) + 由得 (to allow/control) → 'not able to control' → you 'can't help' doing something. Think of it as your reaction happening 'without your permission.'

📝 Usage Notes

This word is neutral in register and commonly used in both spoken and written Chinese. It often appears in narratives or descriptions of personal experiences to convey strong, immediate feelings like sadness, laughter, or surprise. It's typically placed before the verb phrase describing the involuntary action.

📖 Grammar Points

Used in the pattern: Subject + 不由得 + Verb Phrase. It can introduce a clause where the cause is stated first (e.g., 看到..., 不由得...). Often paired with 起来 to indicate the start of an action, as in 不由得伤心起来.

🏯 Cultural Notes

Reflects a cultural emphasis on expressing genuine, unforced emotional responses in Chinese communication, often used in storytelling or personal reflections to highlight sincerity.

🔄 Similar Words

Similar to 忍不住 (rěnbùzhù), which also means 'can't help but,' but 不由得 emphasizes a more instinctive, uncontrollable reaction, often emotional, while 忍住 means 'to hold back' and 忍不住 implies failing to restrain oneself after an effort. 情不自禁 (qíngbùzìjīn) is also close but more literary and specifically tied to emotions.

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