by
by — adverb
1. used to say that something or someone moves past, especially without stopping; o
used to say that something or someone moves past, especially without stopping; or that time goes past; also used to say that someone or something is close at hand.
Marcus waved as the school bus drove by without stopping.
motion verb + by: drove by, walked by, ran by
Two whole years went by before Lina saw her cousin again.
time + go by: years/days/hours went by
Please stop by Mrs. Chen's bakery and pick up a loaf of sourdough.
A police officer stood close by, watching the busy crowd.
Carlos sat quietly while the long parade marched by.
文法句型
go/walk/drive/run + by
stop + by
用法筆記
Frequently follows a motion verb (go, walk, drive, run, fly, march) or time noun (years, days, hours). 'Close by' and 'near by' express location; 'stop by' means to visit briefly without staying long.
常見錯誤
by — preposition
1. in passive sentences, marking which person, animal, or thing actually carried ou
in passive sentences, marking which person, animal, or thing actually carried out the action.
The garden gate was painted bright red by Marcus last weekend.
passive verb + by + named agent
Lina's wallet was stolen by a thief on the crowded train.
Hamlet was written by William Shakespeare more than four hundred years ago.
The lamp was knocked over by the cat during the night.
Our class is taught by Ms. Tanaka every Tuesday morning.
- through
marks an intermediary rather than the direct doer
文法句型
passive verb + by + agent
用法筆記
Almost always follows a passive verb. The noun after 'by' is the doer; mention it only when you want the reader to know who did the action.
常見錯誤
2. naming the means, tool, or action through which something happens or is achieved
naming the means, tool, or action through which something happens or is achieved.
Maya travels to school by bus every morning.
by + means of transport (no article)
You can pay the bill by credit card or in cash.
Carlos passed the exam by studying two hours every night.
I sent the photos by email so they would arrive faster.
The little boy held his mother by the hand and smiled.
文法句型
by + noun (means/method)
by + -ing
用法筆記
With transport and communication ('by bus', 'by email'), drop the article. With body parts ('by the arm', 'by the hand'), keep 'the'. Distinguish from sense 1: here 'by' tells the reader HOW, not WHO.
常見錯誤
3. right next to a place, person, or thing, with very little space between them.
right next to a place, person, or thing, with very little space between them.
Sarah sat by the window and watched the rain fall.
by + the + location noun
There is a small bakery by the train station on Oak Street.
The Watanabe twins played by the river all afternoon, skipping flat stones across the water.
Marcus stood by his sister during the family photo.
Please leave the heavy book boxes by the back door for the movers.
- far from
opposite of immediate closeness
文法句型
by + place noun
用法筆記
Suggests immediate closeness, often touching or within arm's reach — closer than 'near'. Typically used with a stationary object or person, not a route or means (compare sense 2).
常見錯誤
4. at some point before the time mentioned, and not after it.
at some point before the time mentioned, and not after it.
Please send your scholarship application to Dr. Patel by Friday at noon.
by + specific deadline
Marcus had finished all his homework by eight o'clock.
past perfect + by + clock time
Our tour group must leave the hotel by ten to catch the Capri ferry.
Aunt Rosa's leaking kitchen roof should be repaired by the end of next week.
By the time Lina arrived, the meeting was already over.
- before
very close, but 'by' more often suggests an exact cut-off
- no later than
more formal; common in written deadlines
- after
opposite direction in time
文法句型
by + time/date
用法筆記
Means 'no later than' — the action can happen earlier, but not after. Distinguish from 'until', which describes a continuous action lasting up to that point: 'work until 5' (keep working) vs 'finish by 5' (be done).
常見錯誤
5. introducing the size of a difference, gap, or change between two values, or stat
introducing the size of a difference, gap, or change between two values, or stating the two measurements of a flat object such as a rug or room.
House prices in Taipei rose by ten percent last year.
rise/fall + by + amount of change
Marcus is taller than his brother by about five centimetres.
The kitchen rug is two metres by three metres.
Our team lost the basketball final by just three points.
Lina won the race by less than a second.
文法句型
verb + by + amount
[number] by [number]
用法筆記
After verbs of change ('rise by', 'increase by', 'fall by'), the noun after 'by' names the size of the change, not the new total. The dimension pattern '[length] by [width]' uses no article. Distinguish from sibling sense 7 'PER UNIT' (paid by the hour, charged by the day): that sense fixes a rate of payment per unit of time, whereas this sense reports a one-off gap or measurement.
常見錯誤
6. sitting between two copies of the same word, in the fixed pattern 'X by X', to s
sitting between two copies of the same word, in the fixed pattern 'X by X', to say that change builds up steadily one X at a time (day by day, step by step, little by little).
Day by day, Marcus grew stronger after his surgery.
fixed pattern: noun + by + same noun
The flood waters rose minute by minute as the storm continued.
Little by little, Lina learned to speak Mandarin without an accent.
Step by step, the team rebuilt the old wooden bridge.
Year by year, the quiet fishing village of Hualien has become a popular tourist town.
- gradually
single adverb, not the X-by-X pattern
- all at once
the change happens in a single moment, not in stages
文法句型
noun + by + (same) noun
用法筆記
Only works in the fixed pattern 'X by X' with the same noun repeated (day by day, step by step, little by little). Distinguish from sense 5: there 'by' precedes a single amount; here it sits between two copies of the same word and signals gradual progress.
常見錯誤
7. in the pattern 'by the + [time or quantity unit]', stating the unit on which som
in the pattern 'by the + [time or quantity unit]', stating the unit on which something is paid, charged, or counted, or noting that a change happens on every fresh unit (by the hour, by the day, by the kilo).
Marcus was paid by the hour at the bookshop on Hamilton Street.
by + the + [unit of time] for rate of payment
The flood waters were rising by the minute, so Lina ran upstairs.
by the minute showing rapid change
Aunt Rosa felt stronger by the day after leaving the hospital.
The taxi driver charges by the kilometre once you leave the city centre.
Visitor numbers at the museum grew by the week during the summer.
文法句型
happen + by + the + [time unit]
用法筆記
Almost always followed by 'the' plus a singular time unit (the hour, the day). Distinguish from sense 5 'AMOUNT' (by + amount of difference) and sibling sense 6 'RATE OF CHANGE' (improving day by day) — this sense answers 'how often' or 'on what unit' something is counted or paid.
常見錯誤
8. during a particular part of the day, or while a particular condition holds — typ
during a particular part of the day, or while a particular condition holds — typically in the fixed pairings 'by day' and 'by night'.
Marcus works in a quiet office by day and plays jazz by night.
by day / by night contrast
The narrow cobbled streets of old Lisbon felt completely different by night.
by night without article
Owls hunt by night and sleep in tall pine trees by day.
By day the fishing village looked sleepy, but the harbour buzzed at sunset.
文法句型
by + day / night
用法筆記
Restricted almost entirely to the set phrases 'by day' and 'by night' with no article. Distinguish from sibling sense 4 'NOT LATER THAN' ('by Monday' = deadline): this sense names the period something happens within, not a cut-off point.
常見錯誤
9. naming the area — job, inborn character, or origin — that explains why a descrip
naming the area — job, inborn character, or origin — that explains why a description fits a person, as in 'a teacher by profession' or 'shy by nature'.
Carlos is a teacher by profession but a poet at heart.
by profession naming someone's job
Lina is shy by nature and prefers small dinner parties.
by nature describing inborn character
Dr. Tanaka is Japanese by birth but grew up in São Paulo.
Marcus is a doctor by training but works as a journalist now.
The mayor is a lawyer by training and still reads court papers for fun.
- in terms of
looser paraphrase: 'in terms of training' = 'by training'
文法句型
by + nature / profession / trade / birth
用法筆記
Follows a noun phrase and takes a bare noun (no article): 'by profession', 'by nature', 'by trade', 'by birth', 'by training'. Often appears after 'be + indefinite noun' or contrasts two facts about a person ('a teacher by profession but a poet at heart').
常見錯誤
10. in the fixed expressions 'fine by me', 'OK by me', 'all right by Lisa', etc., us
in the fixed expressions 'fine by me', 'OK by me', 'all right by Lisa', etc., used to say that someone has no objection and is happy for the thing to go ahead.
If Marcus wants to skip dessert and go for a walk, that's fine by me.
fine by + person showing agreement
Moving the meeting to Friday is all right by Lina, but check with Dr. Tanaka.
all right by + person
'Shall we order pizza tonight?' 'OK by me — I'm starving.'
Sharing the prize money equally is fine by everyone on the quiz team.
文法句型
fine / OK / all right + by + [person]
用法筆記
Only works after 'fine', 'OK', 'all right', and a few similar approval words; you cannot extend it to other adjectives ('happy by me' is wrong). Often replies to a proposal. Distinguish from sense 1 'AGENT' (passive 'done by me'): this sense expresses approval, not authorship.