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适用 (shì yòng) — applicable, suitable (for a particular situation or use)

Definition

适用 (shìyòng) emphasizes that a rule, method, or law fits a particular case or situation. 合适 is the everyday word for 'suitable' (people, things); 恰当 is more formal for 'appropriate' (words, behavior).

adjective
applicablesuitable (for a particular situation or use)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 。
    Zhè tiáo fǎ lǜ bú shì yòng yú zhè zhǒng tè shū qíng kuàng.
    This law is not applicable to this special situation.
  • 适用，。
    Zhè ge fāng fǎ hěn shì yòng, dà jiā dōu kě yǐ shì shì.
    This method is very applicable; everyone can give it a try.
  • 适用？
    Zài shén me tiáo jiàn xià zhè ge guī zé cái shì yòng?
    Under what conditions is this rule applicable?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

适shìsuitable
用yònguse

适 means suitable and 用 means use, so together they say something is suitable for use.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 適; 适 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辶Written in full as辵chuò
Sound part声符shēngfú
啻
啻chì適shì
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 適 pairs 辶 (walking) with a sound part; its inner part was originally 啻 and was stylized into 啇. The simplified 适 is a later variant.

Open 适 →

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

用 was formed by adding a handle to an earlier form.

Open 用 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5

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