by machine

by machine — idiom

1. done or produced using mechanical equipment rather than by human hands or manual

1.慣用語B1
釋義

done or produced using mechanical equipment rather than by human hands or manual effort.

例句

At Iker's family bakery, the bread dough is kneaded by machine instead of by hand.

passive: [be] + past participle + by machine

Daichi works in a factory where metal parts are stamped and assembled by machine.

coordinated passive verbs with by machine

同義詞
  • mechanically

    Adverb form; used to describe the process itself ('The parts are mechanically sorted'), whereas 'by machine' emphasises contrast with manual work.

  • using machinery

    Slightly longer and more formal; often used in technical or industrial descriptions.

  • by automation

    Implies computer-controlled or robotic systems rather than any single machine; narrower scope.

反義詞
  • by hand

    Direct opposite; describes work done manually without mechanical assistance.

  • manually

    Adverb form of 'by hand'; used when contrasting human effort with machine work.

文法句型

[verb] + by machine

[be] + past participle + by machine

用法筆記

Typically follows a past participle or passive verb form (made by machine, sewn by machine). No article is used before 'machine' in this fixed phrase — write 'by machine', not 'by a machine' or 'by the machine' — unless a specific individual machine is being referred to.

常見錯誤

❌The report was written by a machine.
✅The report was written by machine.
💡When describing the method in general, the fixed phrase 'by machine' takes no article.
❌I go to work by machine every day.
✅I go to work by bus / by car.
💡'by machine' refers to how something is produced or processed, not to a vehicle used for transport.