由 for Assigning Responsibility in Chinese
由 + 负责人 + 动词
由 can introduce the person or organization responsible for carrying out an action: 这项工作由我负责. The task or affected topic commonly appears first, followed by 由, the responsible agent, and a complete predicate. This pattern assigns agency or responsibility and should not be confused with 由 marking a source or route.
Published July 28, 2026
Reviewed July 28, 2026
01 / PATTERN
See the Structure
MODEL
Topic / Task + 由 + Responsible Person or Organization + Verb Phrase
Read the structure
由 can introduce the person or organization responsible for carrying out an action: 这项工作由我负责. The task or affected topic commonly appears first, followed by 由, the responsible agent, and a complete predicate. This pattern assigns agency or responsibility and should not be confused with 由 marking a source or route. Keep the model Topic / Task + 由 + Responsible Person or Organization + Verb Phrase visible while you compare each sentence.
这项工作由我负责。
I am responsible for this work.
Choose the right context
Assign a task or decision to a responsible person or organization. Place the responsible agent immediately after 由. Follow the agent with a complete action or responsibility predicate.
最后的问题由班长回答。
The class monitor will answer the final question.
Respect the boundary
Do not place 负责 before the responsible person. Do not omit the responsible agent after 由. Do not confuse this agent-marking use with 由 meaning from a source.
这项工作由负责我。
(I am responsible for this work.)
Repair the pattern
The predicate precedes the responsible agent: The responsible agent follows 由, and the action or responsibility predicate follows that agent. The responsible agent is missing: In this responsibility pattern, 由 must introduce the person or organization performing the action.
这项工作由我负责。
Use the repaired structure without changing the intended meaning.
02 / MAP
Read the Sentence
Read from left to right and notice the job performed by each part. The labels describe this example; they are not a rule that every Chinese sentence must copy.
这项工作由我负责。
I am responsible for this work.
这项
Topic / Task
This part occupies the Topic / Task position in the model pattern.
工作
由
This part occupies the 由 position in the model pattern.
由
Responsible Person or Organization
This part occupies the Responsible Person or Organization position in the model pattern.
我
Verb Phrase
This part occupies the Verb Phrase position in the model pattern.
负责
Topic / Task
This part occupies the Topic / Task position in the model pattern.
03 / EXAMPLES
Examples You Can Reuse
Keep the structure stable while changing the people, objects, times, or conditions. Pinyin is shown as reading support; use the Chinese sentence and translation to confirm the grammar relationship.
这项工作由我负责。
I am responsible for this work.
最后的问题由班长回答。
The class monitor will answer the final question.
会议由办公室安排。
The office will arrange the meeting.
04 / LIMITS
When to Use It — and When Not To
Use it when
- Assign a task or decision to a responsible person or organization.
- Place the responsible agent immediately after 由.
- Follow the agent with a complete action or responsibility predicate.
Do not use it when
- Do not place 负责 before the responsible person.
- Do not omit the responsible agent after 由.
- Do not confuse this agent-marking use with 由 meaning from a source.
05 / REPAIR
Compare Right and Wrong
Compare the smallest meaningful change. Each explanation identifies a placement, scope, form, or clause relationship instead of treating the whole sentence as one undifferentiated mistake.
这项工作由负责我。
这项工作由我负责。
The predicate precedes the responsible agent
The responsible agent follows 由, and the action or responsibility predicate follows that agent.
最后的问题由回答。
最后的问题由班长回答。
The responsible agent is missing
In this responsibility pattern, 由 must introduce the person or organization performing the action.
这项工作由负责我。
The responsible agent follows 由, and the action or responsibility predicate follows that agent.
最后的问题由回答。
In this responsibility pattern, 由 must introduce the person or organization performing the action.
06 / PRACTICE
Practice the Grammar Point
Complete three short tasks in order: judge the pattern, repair a common error, and build the sentence. Feedback is fixed and reviewed, so these activities do not use a checker allowance.
1. Judge the sentence
2. Choose the correction
3. Build the sentence
Build a complete sentence with 由 + 负责人 + 动词.
07 / APPLY
Apply It in Your Sentence
Write one original sentence with 由 + 负责人 + 动词. Your draft moves to the checker through this browser session, selects this grammar point as the first review focus, and waits for you to submit.
08 / QUESTIONS
由 for Assigning Responsibility Questions
Is this the same as a 被 sentence?
No. Both may mention an agent, but 由 often neutrally assigns responsibility, while 被 explicitly marks a passive relation centered on the patient.
Can an organization follow 由?
Yes. A team, office, company, or other institution can be the responsible agent when it can perform the stated action.
09 / SOURCES
Sources and Review Notes
These references support different parts of the lesson. GF0025-2021 supports level placement only; professional grammar works support the explanation, limits, examples, and cross-checks. Their inclusion does not imply endorsement.
Chinese Proficiency Grading Standards for International Chinese Language Education (GF0025-2021)
Ministry of Education and State Language Commission · Ministry of Education of the PRC · 2021
Locator: Appendix A, Level 5 item 【五11】 由2, PDF pp. 223–224
Lists the responsibility pattern with examples 由你来回答 and 由班长负责.
Official source初级汉语综合（下）教案
兰州大学国际文化交流学院 · 兰州大学 · 2017
Locator: Vocabulary teaching note for 由, extracted PDF lines 80–84
Defines 由 as introducing the person responsible and gives 由你通知 and 由我负责.
Official sourceModern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide, 3rd ed.
Ross, Ma, Chen, He and Yeh · Routledge · 2024
Locator: Prepositions expressing source, printed p. 84
Documents the separate source use of 由, supporting the boundary between agent assignment and source marking.
Official source10 / CONTINUE
Continue with a Connected Rule
Easy to confuse
被The 被 (bèi) Passive
Compare neutral responsibility assignment with a passive clause centered on the affected patient.
Compare
让/叫让 / 叫: Make Someone Do
Distinguish assigning who performs a task from causing or permitting someone to act.
Easy to confuse
由此可见由此可见 (yóucǐ kějiàn)
Separate agent-marking 由 from source-marking 由 inside the fixed inference phrase 由此可见.
Compare
把The 把 (bǎ) Sentence
Compare assigning an agent with foregrounding and disposing of an affected object.
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Easy to confuse
Compare neutral responsibility assignment with a passive clause centered on the affected patient.