驱使 (qū shǐ) — to prompt, to urge, to spur on (often of internal forces like curiosity or responsibility); to order about, to dispatch (to make someone do something by authority)

Definition

驱使 means 'to drive, to prompt' — it casts an internal force (curiosity, duty, fear) as the agent that moves someone to act. The 被 construction is common: 被好奇心驱使着.

verb
to promptto urgeto spur on (often of internal forces like curiosity or responsibility)to order aboutto dispatch (to make someone do something by authority)

Examples

  • 驱使。
    Tā bèi hào qí xīn qū shǐ zhe qù cháng shì xīn shì wù.
    He was driven by curiosity to try new things.
  • 驱使，。
    Lǎo bǎn jīng cháng qū shǐ yuán gōng jiā bān, dà jiā dōu hěn bù mǎn.
    The boss often orders employees to work overtime, and everyone is very unhappy.
  • 驱使。
    Qiáng liè de zé rèn gǎn qū shǐ tā bú duàn jìn bù.
    A strong sense of responsibility drove him to keep improving.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

驱qūdrive
使shǐurge

驱 contributes drive and 使 contributes urge, forming the idea of pushing someone into action.

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 驅; 驱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
馬馬mǎhorse
Sound part声符shēngfú
區
區qū驅qū
Same sound today

The traditional form 驅 pairs 馬 (horse) with 區 as a sound part; simplified 驱 is a later shorthand.

Open 驱 →

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 →
Appears in
Will & Intention

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.