1. As a preposition, it can mean "with" or "by means of". For example:
- 以蜂蜜调味咖啡 (yǐ fēngmì tiáowèi kāfēi) - flavor coffee with honey
- 以电子邮件联系 (yǐ diànzǐ yóujiàn liánxì) - contact via e【华频星座】mail
2. As a conjunction, it can mean "by" or "using". For example:
- 以笔为武器 (yǐ bǐ wéi wǔqì) - by using the pen as a weapon
- 以快乐为目的 (yǐ kuàilè wéi mùdì) - having happiness as the goal
3. As an auxiliary word, it can indicate the range or scope of something. For example:
- 以人民为中心 (yǐ rénmín wéi zhōngxīn) - with the people at the center
- 以三年为期 (yǐ sān nián wéi qī) - with a term of three years
4. As a noun, it can mean "method" or "means". For example:
- 以小见大的方法 (yǐ xiǎo jiàn dà de fāngfǎ) - a method of seeing the big picture from the small details
- 手段不正当，不应该以此达成目的 (shǒuduàn bù zhèngdàng, bù yīnggāi yǐ cǐ dáchéng mùdì) - using improper means, one should not achieve their goals through this.