# 由……组成 Grammar Guide: Meaning, Structure and HSK 5 Usage | HSKReady Canonical: https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-5-fixed-phrases-8738be595a Language: en Content ID: web-grammar-hsk-5-fixed-phrases-8738be595a HSK levels: 5 Updated: 2026-10-23T04:56:47.758Z Scope: published website educational content; full vocabulary, question bank and mock exams remain in the app. Learn how to use the Chinese fixed phrase 由……组成 to describe how wholes are made up of parts, with clear formulas, natural examples, and common mistakes. Grammar [HSK 5 · Fixed patterns](https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-5#hsk-5-g030) # HSK 5 Fixed Phrase: 由……组成 (yóu... zǔchéng) The fixed phrase 由……组成 (yóu... zǔchéng) means 'to be composed of' or 'to consist of'. It places the complete whole as the subject and introduces its constituent parts after the preposition 由. whole entity / group 由 component parts / members 组成 Example sentence 这个调查小组由五位专家和两名翻译组成。 zhè ge diào chá xiǎo zǔ yóu wǔ wèi zhuān jiā hé liǎng míng fān yì zǔ chéng. This investigation team is composed of five experts and two translators. The whole group (这个调查小组) is the subject, and the specific members follow 由. A common mistake × 三十名优秀学生由这个合唱团组成。 sān shí míng yōu xiù xué sheng yóu zhè ge hé chàng tuán zǔ chéng. Incorrect: Thirty outstanding students are composed of this choir. For the intended choir membership, put the choir first and the thirty students after 由. Alternatively, use the students as the subject of active 组成. Corrected example: 这个合唱团由三十名优秀学生组成。 **Read the full explanation and examples** ## Core Meaning and Syllabus Scope In the HSK 5 grammar outline, 由……组成 (yóu... zǔchéng) is classified as a fixed phrase (固定短语). It translates into English as 'to be composed of', 'to be made up of', or 'to consist of'. Writers and speakers use it to break a larger, organized whole down into its recognizable members, sections, or elements. In this frame, the preposition 由 introduces the constituent parts or members that form the whole, while the verb 组成 completes the predicate by expressing how those pieces come together into an integrated structure. Because the focus is on objective structure, this pattern appears frequently in academic writing, news reports, institutional introductions, and formal descriptions. ## Sentence Structures and Natural Usage In a standard declarative sentence, the complete entity stands at the beginning as the subject. The preposition 由 immediately precedes the list or count of components, and 组成 closes the clause. whole entity / group 由 component parts / members 组成 这个调查小组由五位专家和两名翻译组成。 zhè ge diào chá xiǎo zǔ yóu wǔ wèi zhuān jiā hé liǎng míng fān yì zǔ chéng. This investigation team is composed of five experts and two translators. The whole group (这个调查小组) is the subject, and the specific members follow 由. 高级培训课程由理论讲座、案例分析和实地考察三部分组成。 gāo jí péi xùn kè chéng yóu lǐ lùn jiǎng zuò 、 àn lì fēn xī hé shí dì kǎo chá sān bù fen zǔ chéng. The advanced training course consists of three parts: theoretical lectures, case analysis, and field trips. Here, specific named modules are summarized by 三部分 (three parts) right before 组成. The component phrase can name several listed parts, a quantified group or a general category: 这支队伍由学生组成 is complete without a numeral or 和. Chinese bare nouns do not by themselves mark singular number. The crucial relation is which entity is the whole and what makes it up. You can also compress this pattern into an attributive modifier before a noun by adding 的 after 组成. This is very useful when you want to specify the makeup of an organization or group while stating what that group does in the main predicate. 由 component parts / members 组成 的 whole entity / group 这支由青年志愿者组成的服务队明天出发。 zhè zhī yóu qīng nián zhì yuàn zhě zǔ chéng de fú wù duì míng tiān chū fā. This service team made up of young volunteers sets off tomorrow. 由青年志愿者组成的 acts as an attributive modifier describing 服务队 (service team). ## Useful Contrasts and Usage Limits To use 由……组成 accurately at an upper-intermediate level, it helps to contrast it with three related expressions that learners often mix up. - Whole-first vs. Parts-first (由……组成 vs. active 组成): When you use 由……组成, the complete whole is the subject. If you drop 由 and use 组成 as an active transitive verb, the word order flips: the individual parts become the subject, and the resulting whole becomes the object, often taking 了. - 组成 presents how parts constitute a whole, whereas 包括 says that an item is included. A 包括 list may be complete or partial. To make an intentionally partial composition list clear, use 主要由……组成, or include 等 where appropriate. - 组成 focuses on constituents; 制成 focuses on what something is made from or how it is manufactured. A team’s members and a book’s chapters fit 组成. 木头制成的桌子 focuses on material used in making a table. Materials can also be constituents, as in 这种合金由铜和锌组成; the distinction is the intended account, not whether every part remains visibly separate. ## Common Learner Mistake: Reversing Whole and Parts In the choir example, the intended whole is the choir and its members are the students. Putting the choir after 由 reverses that relation. Correct the order while retaining the same thirty students and the same choir. × 三十名优秀学生由这个合唱团组成。 sān shí míng yōu xiù xué sheng yóu zhè ge hé chàng tuán zǔ chéng. Incorrect: Thirty outstanding students are composed of this choir. For the intended choir membership, put the choir first and the thirty students after 由. Alternatively, use the students as the subject of active 组成. Corrected example: 这个合唱团由三十名优秀学生组成。 这个合唱团由三十名优秀学生组成。 zhè ge hé chàng tuán yóu sān shí míng yōu xiù xué sheng zǔ chéng. This choir is composed of thirty outstanding students. Correct replacement using 由……组成: the whole choir is the subject, and the thirty students follow 由. 三十名优秀学生组成了这个合唱团。 sān shí míng yōu xiù xué sheng zǔ chéng le zhè ge hé chàng tuán. Thirty outstanding students formed this choir. Alternative correct sentence: if you keep the thirty students as the subject, remove 由 and use 组成了 actively. Quick check for this composition frame: identify the whole first, then check that the phrase after 由 names its constituents. Other uses of 由, such as 由老师负责, express different relationships. ## Frequently asked questions **Can I add 是 and 的 to make 是由……组成的?** Yes. Both 由……组成 and 是由……组成的 are natural and common. Adding 是……的 places slightly more emphasis on explaining the existing makeup of a known entity, while the bare form 由……组成 reads smoothly in concise, formal descriptions. **Should I put 了 after 组成 in the 由……组成 pattern?** A simple statement of existing composition normally needs no 了: 这个合唱团由三十名学生组成. But the presence of 由 is not a blanket ban on 了 in a sentence describing formation. For example, 这次由五名志愿者组成了一个服务队 presents forming the team as an event, with a different sentence organization. Choose aspect for the meaning, not by checking for 由 alone. **Why is 由……组成 listed under HSK 5?** In the 2025-11 edition of the revised HSK syllabus outline (labeled for 2026-07 implementation), 由……组成 appears as a Level 5 fixed phrase. Remember that syllabus outlines define study scope, and you should verify which exam version your specific test center administers. **Source**[hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com · PDF page 398](https://hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com/3.0/%E6%96%B0%E7%89%88HSK%E8%80%83%E8%AF%95%E5%A4%A7%E7%BA%B21219.pdf#page=398) ## Continue in the app Full mock exams are available in HSKReady. [![Download on the App Store](https://hskready.app/download-on-app-store-black.svg)Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6791916440?l=en)[![Get it on Google Play](https://hskready.app/get-it-on-google-play.svg)Get it on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.curiolab.hskready&hl=en) [HSKReady App](https://hskready.app/en/app)