By is a preposition of the English language which in Portuguese means per, Close of, next to. However, it can take on different meanings that vary according to the situation.
Some of the most common situations in which the term "by” are with the meaning of “by”, “from” or “to”:
- Indicates how something is done: sit by post (sent by mail)
- Indicates the person responsible for a work: by Ludvig van Beethoven, by Maurício de Sousa
- Undetermined time: by day (during the day), by night (at night)
- Means of transport: by car (by car), by boat (of boat)
- Next to, next to: sit by me (sit down beside me)
- step by step (step by step)
It is usually also used in passive voice, for example,"the exercise was made by her" (the exercise was done by her).
When the preposition "by”, like other prepositions, is added to some verb, forming the so-called “phrasal verb” (has the particularity of changing the meaning when accompanied by a preposition). Some examples of these verbs are “stand by" (on hold), get by (turn around – in the face of some financial difficulty).
Added to other terms also forms idioms. Example: by the way (by the way, by the way).
