由: reason; from

由 yóu

preposition
: to follow
: from
: it is for…to
: reason; cause; because of; due to
: to
: to leave it (to somebody)
: by (introduces passive verb)

Kun Reading

由 | よし yoshi

noun
: reason; significance; cause

由る OR 因る | よる yoru

godan verb with ru ending | intransitive verb
: (Usually written using kana alone) to be due to; to be caused by
: to depend on; to turn on
: to be based on; to come from

由於[于] you2yu2: due to; as a result of; thanks to; owing to; since; because

由來[来] you2lai2: origin
[由来 | ゆらい yurai: origin; source; history; derivation; reason; destiny]

由此 you2ci3: hereby; from this

由此可見 [由此可见] you2ci3 ke3jian4: from this, it can be seen that…

由徑[径] you2jing4: to follow a narrow path

自由 zi4you2: freedom; free; liberty
[じゆう jiyuu: freedom; liberty; as it pleases you]

自由神像 zi4 you2 shen2 xiang4: Statue of Liberty
自由の女神像 | じゆうのめがみぞう jiyuu no megamizou: Statue of Liberty

理由 li3you2: reason; grounds; justification
[りゆう riyuu: reason; pretext; motive]

不由 bu4you2: can’t help (doing something)

事由 shi4you2: main content; matter; work; origin of an incident; cause; purpose; subject (of business letter)
[じゆう jiyuu: reason; cause]

任由 ren4you2: to let (somebody do something); to allow

Japanese common word | expression | yojijukugo 四字熟語 | idiom
由々しい | ゆゆしい yuyushii
: grave; serious; alarming

*自由自在 | じゆうじざい jiyuu jizai
: (yoji) free; unrestricted; (with) complete mastery; completely in control

存在理由 | そんざいりゆう sonzai riyuu
: (yoji) reason for being; raison d’etre

自由濶達 | じゆうかったつ jiyuu kattatsu
: (yoji) free and easy; open and natural; not fastidious

自由放題 | じゆうほうだい jiyuu houdai
: (yoji) as freely as one pleases; at will; to one’s heart’s content

由って来る | よってきたる yotte kitaru
: originating; causing; beginning

理由を付ける | りゆうをつける riyuu o tsukeru
: to give a reason

原因において自由な行為 | げんいんにおいてじゆうなこうい genin ni oite jiyuu na koui
: actio libera in causa; manufacturing the conditions of one’s own defense (e.g. getting drunk in order to commit a crime)

Chinese common word | expression | chengyu 成語 | idiom
*自由自在 zi4 you2 zi4 zai4
: free and easy; carefree; leisurely

鬼由心生 gui3 you2 xin1 sheng1
: devils are born in the heart; fears originate in the mind

率由卓章 shuai4 you2 zhuo2 zhang1
: conservative

率由舊章 [率由旧章] shuai4 you2 jiu4 zhang1
: to act in accordance with the old rules; to follow a proven formula

聽天由命 [听天由命] ting1 tian1 you2 ming4
: to submit to the will of heaven; to resign oneself to fate; to trust to luck

行不由徑 [行不由径] xing2 bu4 you2 jing4
: lit. never taking a short-cut; fig. upright and honest

豐儉由人 [丰俭由人] feng1 jian3 you2 ren2
: fancy or simple according to sb’s budget

身不由己 shen1 bu4 you2 ji3
: without the freedom to act independently; involuntary; not of one’s own volition; in spite of oneself

言不由衷 yan2 bu4 you2 zhong1
: to say something without meaning it; to speak tongue in cheek; saying one thing but meaning something different

不自由，毋寧死 [不自由，毋宁死] bu4 zi4 you2 , wu2 ning4 si3
: give me liberty or give me death

人在江湖，身不由己 ren2 zai4 jiang1 hu2 , shen1 bu4 you2 ji3
: you can’t always do as you like; one has to compromise in this world