由于

• Pinyin: yóu yú
• Hanzi breakdown: 由 = pictograph possibly depicting oil flowing from a container, meaning from or reason; 于 = ancient preposition meaning in or at

Meaning

Due to; owing to; because of. A formal conjunction or preposition used to introduce the cause or reason for something.

Used at the beginning of a clause to state a reason or cause, often in the pattern 由于...所以... or 由于...的原因. More formal than 因为 and commonly found in news, reports, and written Chinese. Can function as both a preposition and a conjunction.

Examples

1. 由于天气不好，运动会推迟了。 Due to bad weather, the sports meet was postponed.
2. 他由于工作太忙，很少有时间休息。 Because he is too busy with work, he rarely has time to rest.
3. 由于交通堵塞，我迟到了十分钟。 Due to the traffic jam, I was ten minutes late.

Usage Guide

Context: news, reports, writing

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 由于时间有限，我们只能讨论两个问题。(Due to limited time, we can only discuss two issues.)
• 由于他的努力，项目终于完成了。(Thanks to his efforts, the project was finally completed.)

Don't Say

• 我由于饿了去吃饭。(Don't use 由于 for trivial everyday reasons — use 因为 instead. 由于 is for more significant or formal causes)

Origin & History

Compound of 由 (from, due to) and 于 (in, at, to). Together they form a formal causal connector meaning originating from or resulting from.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal