出于

• Pinyin: chū yú
• Hanzi breakdown: 出 (come out, originate) + 于 (from, at)

Meaning

Out of; because of; stemming from.

A formal way to indicate the source or motivation behind an action. Often followed by nouns describing reasons like 好心 (kindness), 礼貌 (politeness), 考虑 (consideration), or 需要 (necessity). More formal than 因为.

Examples

1. 我这样做完全出于好意，你别误会。 I did this entirely out of good intentions — don't misunderstand.
2. 出于安全考虑，公司决定取消这次活动。 Out of safety considerations, the company decided to cancel this event.
3. 他出于礼貌没有当面拒绝。 Out of politeness, he didn't refuse in person.

Usage Guide

Context: explanations, justifications, formal writing

Tone: explanatory

Do Say

• 出于好奇，我问了一下。(Out of curiosity, I asked.)
• 这是出于对你的关心。(This is out of concern for you.)

Don't Say

• 口语中说'我出于想吃就买了'很别扭——出于后面通常接名词，不接动词，说'因为想吃就买了'更自然 (Saying 我出于想吃就买了 is awkward — 出于 takes nouns, not verbs; use 因为想吃就买了)

Origin & History

Compound of 出 (to come from, to originate) + 于 (from, at), used to indicate the source of motivation.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal