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由

Mandarin · pinyin yóu

to follow
from
because of; due to
by; via; through
(before a noun and a verb) it is for ... to ...

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由: yóu · cause, reason; from

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

2 · you2

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1character link45same-tone records

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Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 8 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

jau4

Cantonese word readings for 由. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

character · Etymology 1

cause; reason
from
by; through; via
(done) by
because of; due to
by means of
to pass through
to follow; to let one determine

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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