by
[bˈaɪ] /bˈaɪ/ (ame, ipa) · /bˈaɪ/ (bre, ipa)
by — preposition
1. names who or what brings an action about, especially in passive clauses.
names who or what brings an action about, especially in passive clauses.
The mural was painted by a teacher from Tainan.
passive: by + person who does the action
The alarm was triggered by steam from the shower.
The bridge was designed by engineers from three countries.
Greta felt calmed by the music from the next room.
文法句型
by + noun
用法筆記
Very common after passive verbs to name the person, thing, or force responsible for the action.
2. shows the method, means, or route used to do something.
shows the method, means, or route used to do something.
Kabir learned the song by listening to old radio shows.
by + -ing to show method
The parcel will arrive by air before the weekend.
The twins solved the puzzle by working together after dinner.
Isabela paid the museum fee by card at the entrance.
文法句型
by + noun
by + -ing
用法筆記
Use this sense for methods, transport, payment, and similar means of doing something.
3. means near the side of a person or thing.
means near the side of a person or thing.
A yellow taxi was waiting by the hotel entrance.
by + place = next to
Salma sat by the window and revised her notes.
The dog slept by the heater through the storm.
A bike rack stands by the library steps.
文法句型
by + place
用法筆記
This sense marks nearby position rather than movement.
4. means not later than a stated time, or before that point is reached.
means not later than a stated time, or before that point is reached.
Please send the form by noon on Thursday.
deadline: by + time
Greta promised to call me by eight tonight.
All refunds must reach customers by Friday evening.
By the time we reached the pier, the boat had gone.
文法句型
by + time expression
用法筆記
Use this sense for deadlines and latest possible times.
5. states dimensions, numerical change, or multiplication.
states dimensions, numerical change, or multiplication.
The poster is two metres by one metre.
measurements or numerical change
Our sales rose by 12 percent in April alone.
The temperature dropped by three degrees after the storm.
Seven multiplied by five gives thirty-five on the board.
文法句型
number + by + number
用法筆記
This sense covers size, amount, and arithmetic change.
6. shows that something changes a little more with each passing period.
shows that something changes a little more with each passing period.
The crowd grew quieter minute by minute during the speech.
repeated units show gradual change
The garden looked greener day by day after the rain.
Prices kept climbing month by month through the summer.
His ankle improved week by week after the surgery.
文法句型
minute by minute
day by day
用法筆記
Common with repeated time units to show steady development.
7. forms compounds that describe events or records one unit at a time.
forms compounds that describe events or records one unit at a time.
The nurse kept an hour-by-hour record of the baby's fever.
compound adjective: hour-by-hour
The report gives a day-by-day plan for the school trip.
Police released a minute-by-minute timeline of the fire.
The team tracked its week-by-week progress on the wall chart.
文法句型
hour-by-hour
day-by-day
用法筆記
This sense is usually seen inside hyphenated compound modifiers.
8. means during a named part of the daily cycle, especially in fixed phrases.
means during a named part of the daily cycle, especially in fixed phrases.
Some desert animals hide by day and hunt by night.
fixed phrase: by day / by night
The market looks sleepy by day but crowded by night.
Fishing boats rested in the harbor by day and sailed at dusk.
The old theater is quiet by day and bright by night.
文法句型
by day
by night
用法筆記
Mostly appears in set expressions such as by day and by night.
9. introduces a person's natural character, job, profession, or background status.
introduces a person's natural character, job, profession, or background status.
Isabela is calm by nature, even in heavy traffic.
by + nature/trade/profession/birth
By trade, Sari is a bicycle mechanic in Penang.
The twins are artists by profession, not hobbyists.
Mori is Brazilian by birth but lives in Taipei now.
文法句型
by nature
by trade
用法筆記
This sense adds identifying information such as temperament, work, or origin.
10. means acceptable to a particular person or agreeable in that person's opinion.
means acceptable to a particular person or agreeable in that person's opinion.
We can meet online instead; that is fine by me.
fine/all right by + person
A later start is perfectly all right by the coach.
Can I switch seats? It is okay by us.
Working from home twice a week is fine by HR.
文法句型
fine by + person
all right by + person
用法筆記
Most often follows words like fine, all right, or okay.
11. means in accordance with a rule, standard, tradition, or source of judgment.
means in accordance with a rule, standard, tradition, or source of judgment.
By law, children must wear seat belts in the car.
by + rule, standard, or source
By tradition, the eldest child lights the first candle.
By my watch, we still have ten minutes.
By any standard, the meal was excellent last night.
文法句型
by law
by tradition
用法筆記
Use this sense when a rule, standard, or point of reference is being applied.
12. describes movement that carries someone or something past another person or plac
describes movement that carries someone or something past another person or place.
The bus rushed by the stop without slowing down.
movement past a place or person
A cyclist sped by us on the hill.
Christopher walked by the bakery and smelled fresh bread.
The dog ran by the gate and disappeared into the field.
文法句型
move by + place
用法筆記
Unlike the nearby-position sense, this one focuses on passing movement.
by — adverb
1. means moving past a point nearby, or passing in time.
means moving past a point nearby, or passing in time.
A red scooter rolled by just as the light changed.
adverb: movement or passing time
I waved as the parade went by outside.
The summer holidays flew by far too quickly for us.
An ambulance drove by at midnight outside the dorm.
用法筆記
This adverb often follows verbs of movement, and it can also describe time passing.
2. means kept aside for later use instead of being used now.
means kept aside for later use instead of being used now.
My grandmother still puts a little rice by for guests.
keep or put by = save for later
They have ten thousand dollars by for emergencies.
Set a few clean towels by before the children swim.
The farm keeps extra seed by for the winter.
文法句型
put by
keep by
用法筆記
Usually found after verbs like put, keep, or set when saving something for later.
by — noun
1. a matter of only secondary importance compared with the main issue.
a matter of only secondary importance compared with the main issue.
In the budget debate, parking fees were only a by.
noun: a secondary matter
Compared with patient safety, the poster design was a by.
The delay in printing was a by, not the real problem.
At the hearing, font size became a by beside the cost figures.
用法筆記
This sense is rare and usually appears in formal or old-fashioned wording for a minor matter.
by — adjective
- bypositive
- biercomparative
- biestsuperlative
1. used for a side road, path, or passage away from the usual route.
used for a side road, path, or passage away from the usual route.
We chose a by passage behind the church.
by + route noun = side route
A by road took us around the flooded bridge.
The inn sits on a quiet by lane behind the market.
Tourists rarely notice the by path to the waterfall.
文法句型
by passage
by road
用法筆記
This sense is rare and mostly appears before nouns for side roads or passages.
2. secondary or resulting from something else rather than being the main point.
secondary or resulting from something else rather than being the main point.
The doctor warned us about a few by effects of the medicine.
rare collocation: by effects
The report lists the by effects after the main results.
We can discuss the by effects once the repair is finished.
The grant covers the project itself, not its by effects.
文法句型
by effects
用法筆記
A very rare sense, mainly seen in the fixed collocation by effects.