使 (shǐ) — to cause, to make (someone do something); to use, to employ (formal/literary)
Definition
In the structure 使 + person + verb, it means 'to make/cause someone do something' (e.g. 使大家高兴 = make everyone happy). For the sense 'to use', prefer the everyday verb 使用.
verb
to causeto make (someone do something)to useto employ (formal/literary)
Easily confused
Examples
- 使。Tā de huà shǐ wǒ hěn gǎn dòng.His words made me very moved.
- 使。Zhè ge hǎo xiāo xi shǐ dà jiā dōu hěn gāo xìng.This good news made everyone very happy.
- 使。Tā de nǔ lì shǐ gōng sī qǔ dé le chéng gōng.His efforts made the company achieve success.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
使 pairs 亻 (person) with 吏, which pictures a hand holding something like a flag, giving the sense of a representative or ambassador.
Grammar
Appears in
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