由于 (yóuyú) — due to; because of; owing to
HSK 3 | preposition/conjunction | introduces a cause or reason, more formal than 因为
由于 (yóuyú)
由于 means "due to," "because of," or "owing to." It introduces a cause or reason and is more formal and written than 因为. The result clause is often introduced by 所以, 因此, or 才.
Meanings
- [preposition/conjunction] Due to; because of; owing to; as a result of — introduces the cause of a situation, often in formal or written contexts.
Compare 由于 vs 因为
| Word | Style | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 由于 | Formal / written | Typically fronts the sentence; result clause uses 所以/因此 |
| 因为 | Neutral / spoken | Can appear in either clause; result clause uses 所以 |
Example Sentences
由于天气恶劣，比赛被取消了。 Yóuyú tiānqì èliè, bǐsài bèi qǔxiāo le. Due to bad weather, the competition was cancelled.
由于他的努力，项目终于完成了。 Yóuyú tā de nǔlì, xiàngmù zhōngyú wánchéng le. Owing to his efforts, the project was finally completed.
由于交通堵塞，我们迟到了半个小时。 Yóuyú jiāotōng dǔsāi, wǒmen chídào le bàn gè xiǎoshí. Due to traffic congestion, we were half an hour late.
由于经验不足，他在工作中犯了一些错误。 Yóuyú jīngyàn bùzú, tā zài gōngzuò zhōng fàn le yīxiē cuòwù. Owing to a lack of experience, he made some mistakes at work.
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 由于原因 | due to (some) reason |
| 由于…，所以… | because of…, therefore… |
| 由于…，因此… | owing to…, thus… |
| 由于不足 | due to insufficient… |
| 由于影响 | due to the influence of |
Memory Hook
由 means "from / arising from." 于 marks the source or origin. 由于 = arising from — the cause is the starting point from which everything else flows.