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不由自主

Mandarin · pinyin bù yóu zì zhǔ

(idiom) can't help but; involuntarily

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Characters in this entry

不: bù · no, not; un-; negative prefix
由: yóu · cause, reason; from
自: zì · self, private, personal; from; Kangxi radical 132
主: zhǔ · master, chief owner; host; lord

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

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Mandarin tones

4–2–4–3 · bu4 you2 zi4 zhu3

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

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 · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

bat1 jau4 zi6 zyu2

Cantonese word readings for 不由自主. 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.

phrase

(idiomatic) to not be able to restrain oneself; to feel an irresistible urge (to do something); can't help but; involuntarily; spontaneously

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

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