Meaning of 得以
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- able to
- so that sb can
- enabling
- in order to
- finally in a position to
- with sth in view
How to use 得以
得以 is a formal, written word placed before a verb to say that, thanks to some condition, something was able to happen. It often follows a cause in the first clause. Example: 在大家的帮助下，问题得以解决。(Zài dàjiā de bāngzhù xià, wèntí déyǐ jiějué.) With everyone's help, the problem was able to be solved.
得以 combines 得 (dé, to get) and 以 (yǐ, by means of). Think of it as "getting the means" to do something, so a situation finally lets something happen.
Common mistake: Learners often use 得以 like 可以 (kěyǐ) in casual speech, as in 我得以去吗, which sounds wrong. 得以 describes a result made possible by circumstances, not permission or personal ability. Also, 得 here is read dé, not de or děi.
得以 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
得 dé · to obtain · 11 strokes
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- 2
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以 yǐ · to use · 4 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 得以.
| 觉得 | juéde | to think that ...; to feel that ...; to feel (uncomfortable etc) |
| 得到 | dédào | to get; to obtain; to receive |
| 记得 | jìde | to remember |
| 可以 | kěyǐ | can; may |
| 所以 | suǒyǐ | therefore; as a result |
| 以为 | yǐwéi | to think; to believe (often with the implication that the belief is mistaken – unless refe |
| 以前 | yǐqián | before; formerly |
| 以后 | yǐhòu | after; later |
| 懂得 | dǒngde | to understand; to know; to comprehend |
| 取得 | qǔdé | to acquire; to get; to obtain |
| 以上 | yǐshàng | that level or higher; that amount or more; the above-mentioned |
| 以外 | yǐwài | apart from; other than |
Questions about 得以
What does 得以 mean?
得以 (déyǐ) means "able to; so that sb can" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 得以?
得以 is made of 2 characters: 得 (11 strokes), 以 (4 strokes). That is 15 strokes in total.
Is 得以 an HSK word?
Yes. 得以 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can 得以 be used in negative sentences?
It is rarely negated directly. To say something could not happen, Chinese usually uses 无法 (wúfǎ) or 未能 (wèinéng) instead, as in 问题未能解决.
Why does the subject of 得以 often look passive?
The subject is often the thing that gets done, such as 问题 or 计划, followed by 得以实现 or 得以解决. This gives a passive meaning without using 被 (bèi), which is common in formal writing.