以 (yǐ) - to use & by means of

以Tone 3

yǐ ｜ 4 strokes ｜ radical: 人

一懿

以 · yǐ

to use;

by means of;

according to;

because of;

in order to;

a particle marking a preceding noun as instrumental.

to useby means ofaccording to

Usage highlights

to useto rely onbecause ofaccording toin order toso as to

Synonyms

  • 用— to use
  • 凭— to rely on
  • 据— according to

Antonyms

  • 弃— to abandon
  • 舍— to give up

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I go to school by bus (以公交车).
  • We must study hard (以努力学习).
  • He succeeded through hard work (以努力工作).
  • This is based on the rules (以规则为依据).

Collocations

  • to use(以用)
  • to rely on(以靠)
  • because of(以因为)
  • according to(以根据)
  • in order to(以为了)
  • so as to(以便)

Idioms

  • to take precaution before trouble occurs(以防万一)
  • to regard as insignificant(以微不足道)
  • to use the past to mirror the present(以史为鉴)
  • to regard as a model(以为楷模)
  • to take one's own yardstick to measure others(以己度人)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • A classical Chinese character with extensive use in literary and philosophical texts.
  • Frequently appears in Confucian classics and historical records as a functional word.
  • Commonly used in modern Chinese as a preposition or conjunction.

FAQ