由於grammar point · tier 1 · 由於 owing to (formal cause-clause head)
· yóuyú
Heads a cause clause, tracing a situation back to what it sprang from; the result follows, often with 就/也/因此.
字源 FORM what the parts do
由 marks where a thing sets out from, the source it traces back to. 於 is a worn crow-graph borrowed as the sentence's joint, at, in, to. Together they fasten the cause to the front of the clause: owing to.
故事 STORY a scene to remember it by
A finger runs down the shoot to its root, and rests on the soil it grew from.
字源自撰記憶法
框 · Frame
由於 [cause]，[result（+ 就/也/因此）]
觸 · Trigger
You want to name the source a situation sprang from, in formal or written register, and let the result follow.
序 · The move
1Put 由於 at the head of the clause, then the cause it traces back to.Is this the source the situation grew out of, not just a co-occurring fact?
2Follow with the result clause, often led by 就/也/因此.No 所以 paired here — 由於 stands alone.
3Keep the register formal or written.Would 因為 read more naturally in speech? If so, this is the written choice.
例 · Examples
1表達能力差正是我的弱點，但由於owing to多講多寫speaking and writing a lot (the source)，這些弱點也就thereupon, then (links to the result)克服overcome了。
Weak expression was exactly my shortcoming, but owing to speaking and writing a lot, those shortcomings got overcome.
由於 is the formal single head of one cause clause and never pairs with 所以; the result follows bare or with 就/也/因此. 因為…所以… is the spoken two-armed correlative.
Same job, split register: 由於 leans written and formal; 因為 leans spoken.
由於下雨，所以我沒去。 ✗ → 由於下雨，我就沒去。 ✓ (drop 所以; use 就/也/因此)
我沒去是由於下雨。 ✗ → 由於下雨，我沒去。 ✓ (由於 heads the front clause, not a tail reason — for a sentence-final reason use 因為)
由於他，我們贏了。 ✗ → 由於他的幫助，我們贏了。 ✓ (由於 takes a cause clause/event, not a bare noun standing for a person)
English 'due to' / 'owing to' can sit anywhere and take a bare noun; 由於 wants to head the clause and pair with an event-cause, with the result drawn after.