Definition
引 (yǐn) is a versatile verb meaning 'to lead, attract, or cite'. For 'to attract', it's more neutral than 招 (zhāo, often negative) or 惹 (rě, provoking trouble). For 'to cite', 引用 (yǐnyòng) is the specific word for quoting sources in writing; 引 alone is more general. 举 (jǔ) means 'to raise' or 'to give an example', not 'to lead'.
verb
to leadto guideto attractto draw (attention or interest)to quoteto cite (as evidence or justification)
Easily confused
- 因yīnsound-alike(preposition) because of, due to
- 印yìnsound-alike(verb) to print, stamp, or engrave
- 银yínsound-alikesilver (the precious metal)
- 阴yīnsound-alike(of weather) overcast, cloudy
- 瘾yǐnsound-alikeaddiction, craving
Examples
- 。Dǎoyóu yǐndǎo wǒmen cānguān le gǔlǎo de sìmiào.The tour guide guided us to visit the ancient temple.
- 。Tā de yǎnjiǎng yǐn qǐ le guānzhòng qiángliè de gòngmíng.His speech evoked strong resonance from the audience.
- ，。Xiě lùnwén shí, nǐ yào yǐn yòng kěkào de zīliào.When writing a thesis, you should cite reliable sources.
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