使 meaning and stroke order
To make; to cause; to enable
How to write 使, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 使
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to make
- to cause
- to enable
- to use
- to employ
- to send
How 使 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A person 亻 working for the government 吏.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 使
使 is a person 亻 standing next to 吏 (lì), an official. A person working for the government is someone sent on a mission, an envoy who is told what to do, which leads to the meanings to send, to use, and to cause.
使 often works like English make or cause, in the pattern A 使 B + result, which sounds a bit formal or written. It also appears in everyday words like 使用 (shǐyòng) to use and 大使馆 (dàshǐguǎn) embassy. Example: 这个消息使他很高兴。(Zhège xiāoxi shǐ tā hěn gāoxìng.) This news made him very happy.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 使 (shǐ) with 便 (biàn / pián), which also has 亻 on the left but a different right side, and with 史 (shǐ, history), which sounds the same. Also, in casual speech native speakers usually say 让 (ràng) instead of 使 for make someone do something, so 使 can sound stiff in conversation.
Common words with 使
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 使用 | shǐyòng | to use; to employ | HSK 2 |
| 大使馆 | dàshǐguǎn | embassy | HSK 3 |
| 使劲 | shǐjìn | to exert all one's strength | HSK 4 |
| 促使 | cùshǐ | to prompt; to induce; to spur | HSK 4 |
| 即使 | jíshǐ | even if; even though | HSK 5 |
| 使得 | shǐde | usable; serviceable; feasible; workable; doable | HSK 5 |
| 大使 | dàshǐ | ambassador; envoy | HSK 6 |
| 天使 | tiānshǐ | angel | HSK 7-9 |
| 使命 | shǐmìng | mission; long-term task to which one devotes oneself | HSK 7-9 |
| 使者 | shǐzhě | emissary; envoy | HSK 7-9 |
| 迫使 | pòshǐ | to force; to compel | HSK 7-9 |
| 使唤 | shǐhuan | to order sb around; (coll.) to handle (a draught animal, tool, machine etc) | HSK 7-9 |
| 行使 | xíngshǐ | to exercise (a right etc) | HSK 7-9 |
| 致使 | zhìshǐ | to cause; to result in | HSK 7-9 |
使 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 使
How many strokes are in 使?
使 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 使 mean?
使 (shǐ) means to make; to cause; to enable. A common word with it is 使用 (shǐyòng), meaning "to use; to employ".
How do you pronounce 使?
使 is pronounced shǐ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 使?
The radical of 使 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 使 under this radical.
Is 使 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 使 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 使 and 让 when they mean to make someone feel something?
Both can mean to make or cause, as in 让我很开心 or 使我很开心. 让 is common in speech and can also mean to let or allow, while 使 is more formal and mostly used for causing a result, not for giving permission.
How is 即使 used in a sentence?
即使 (jíshǐ) means even if and is usually paired with 也 in the second clause. For example: 即使下雨，我也去。(Jíshǐ xià yǔ, wǒ yě qù.) Even if it rains, I will still go.