以 — by means of
by means of, in order to (lit.)
How to pronounce it
以 is read yǐ. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “以”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 以. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 明天你可以来吗míngtiānnǐkěyǐláimaCan you come tomorrow?
- 这样写，可以吗？zhèyàngxiě,kěyǐmaIs it OK to write it like this?
- 因为下雨，所以我没去。yīnwèixiàyǔ,suǒyǐwǒméiqùIt was raining, so I didn't go.
- 我可以用一下你的手机吗？wǒkěyǐyòngyíxiànǐdeshǒujīmaCan I use your phone?
- 茶或者咖啡都可以。cháhuòzhěkāfēidōukěyǐTea or coffee — either is fine.
- 除了牛肉以外，我们还点了鱼。chúleniúròuyǐwài,wǒmenháidiǎnleyúBesides beef, we also ordered fish.
More characters by topic — happiness, luck, strength, nature — on the page “Chinese characters with meanings”.
More words from the lesson “According to, and based on”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
What does 以 mean?
以 (yǐ) means “by means of, in order to (lit.)”.
How do you write 以?
以 is 1 character. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 以?
以 is read yǐ. Tones: yǐ — third tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“by means of” in the lesson “According to, and based on”
This word is from the topic “Linking ideas” of HSK 5. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
Start for free