由于 (yóuyú) — due to, because of
HSK 4 | conjunction / preposition | indicating cause or reason
由于 (yóuyú)
由于 is a formal conjunction or preposition used to introduce a cause or reason, equivalent to "due to," "because of," or "owing to" in English.
Meanings
- [conjunction / preposition] due to, because of, owing to, as a result of
Example Sentences
由于天气原因，比赛被取消了。 Yóuyú tiānqì yuányīn, bǐsài bèi qǔxiāo le. Due to weather reasons, the match was cancelled.
由于他的努力，项目提前完成了。 Yóuyú tā de nǔlì, xiàngmù tíqián wánchéng le. Owing to his efforts, the project was completed ahead of schedule.
由于缺乏经验，他犯了一些错误。 Yóuyú quēfá jīngyàn, tā fàn le yīxiē cuòwù. Due to a lack of experience, he made some mistakes.
由于交通堵塞，我迟到了。 Yóuyú jiāotōng dǔsè, wǒ chídào le. Because of traffic congestion, I was late.
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 由于原因 (yóuyú yuányīn) | due to (a) reason |
| 由于……所以…… (yóuyú...suǒyǐ...) | because of...therefore... |
| 由于此 (yóuyú cǐ) | because of this |
| 由于缺乏 (yóuyú quēfá) | due to a lack of |
Usage Notes
由于 is more formal than 因为 (yīnwèi) and is typically found in written Chinese, news articles, and formal speech. It often pairs with 所以 (suǒyǐ) or 因此 (yīncǐ) in the result clause to create a cause-and-effect sentence. Unlike 因为, 由于 more naturally introduces the reason clause at the beginning of a sentence.
Memory Hook
由 means "from" and 于 means "at/in" — think of "originating from" a certain cause, which is exactly how 由于 works.