Chinese word

不由自主

Pronunciation

Pinyinbù yóu zì zhǔ

Meaning

  • adverbwithout meaning to

Example

他看到小狗，不由自主地笑了。tā kàn dào xiáo gǒu bù yóu zì zhǔ dì xiào le

He saw the puppy and smiled without meaning to.

Illustration for 不由自主 (without meaning to)

More examples

听到笑话，大家不由自主地笑了起来。tīng dào xiào huà dà jiā bù yóu zì zhǔ dì xiào le qǐ lái

After hearing the joke, everyone started laughing involuntarily.

Core concept

A strong feeling or sudden stimulus moves the body before conscious choice can direct it.

Common phrases

  • 不由自主地笑了bù yóu zì zhǔ dì xiào le

    laugh involuntarily

  • 不由自主地叹息bù yóu zì zhǔ dì tàn xī

    sigh involuntarily

  • 不由自主地后退bù yóu zì zhǔ dì hòu tuì

    back away involuntarily

Similar words

忍不住rěn bú zhù: An urge or feeling cannot be held back, so an action follows despite efforts to stop it.
情不自禁qíng bú zì jīn: Strong emotion becomes impossible to control, causing an involuntary reaction.
不禁bù jīn: An involuntary response follows something seen or heard, often as an emotional reaction.
不由得bù yóu de: A feeling or action arises so naturally that personal will cannot prevent it.

Definition in Chinese

用于表示在强烈情绪或刺激下，行为或表情不受主观控制而自发出现，常与“地”连用修饰动词。yòng yú biǎo shì zài qiáng liè qíng xù huò cì jī xià xíng wéi huò biǎo qíng bú shòu zhǔ guān kòng zhì ér zì fā chū xiàn cháng yǔ dì lián yòng xiū shì dòng cí

Word origin

不 (bù, "not") + 由 (yóu, "be guided by") + 自主 (zìzhǔ, "self-directed") describes an action that does not arise from personal control.

Usage tips

  • English can make an unplanned action sound careless, but this word often presents it as a natural reaction caused by strong feeling or sudden stimulation.

Other meanings

  • uncontrollablyadverb
  • unconsciouslyadverb

Opposites

  • 有意识地yǒu yì shí dìconsciouslyadverb

Word lists with this word