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使唤 (shǐ huan) — to order someone around; to boss around; (colloquial) to use; to handle (a tool, animal, machine)

Definition

使唤 (shǐhuan) means to boss people around or handle a tool/animal — colloquial and dismissive. Unlike the more neutral 运用, it implies commanding or controlling someone/something.

verb
to order someone aroundto boss around(colloquial) to useto handle (a tool, animal, machine)

Examples

  • 使唤。
    Tā zǒng xǐ huan shǐ huan bié rén bāng tā zuò shì.
    He always likes to order others to do things for him.
  • ，。
    Zhè tái jī qì bú tài hǎo shǐ huan, nǐ dé màn màn xí guàn.
    This machine isn't very easy to use; you'll have to get used to it slowly.
  • 使唤。
    Yé ye nián qīng shí hěn huì shǐ huan niú gēng dì.
    Grandpa was very good at handling oxen to plow fields when he was young.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

使shǐuse/order
唤huàncall

使唤 joins 使 (use or order) and 唤 (call), giving the sense of calling someone into service.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
吏
吏lì使shǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

使 pairs 亻 (person) with 吏, which pictures a hand holding something like a flag, giving the sense of a representative or ambassador.

Open 使 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 喚; 唤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
奐
奐huàn喚huàn
Same sound today

The traditional form 喚 pairs 口 (mouth) with 奐, which gives the pronunciation; the simplified 唤 is a later shorthand, and its right side is not the old sound part.

Open 唤 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9

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