使 meaning in English

shǐ

to make; to cause

HSK 3verb8 strokes

Meaning of 使

Definitions from CC-CEDICT.

shǐ

to make
to cause
to enable
to use
to employ
to send
to instruct sb to do sth
envoy

How to use 使

In everyday Chinese, 使 often means "to make" someone feel or do something, a more formal cousin of 让 (ràng). It also appears in many compounds like 使用 (shǐyòng, to use) and 大使馆 (dàshǐguǎn, embassy). Example: 这个消息使我很高兴。(Zhège xiāoxi shǐ wǒ hěn gāoxìng.) This news made me very happy.

使 is made of the person radical 亻 next to 吏 (lì), an old word for an official. Picture a person who sends an official on a task, which links to its meanings of sending, using people, and an envoy.

Common mistake: Learners often confuse 使 with 便 (biàn) or 更 (gèng), because the right sides look similar. 使 has a 口 inside its right part and a top stroke that crosses down through it, while 便 and 更 have 曰. Another trap is using 使 in casual speech where 让 sounds more natural.

使 in example sentences

Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.

他tā完wán成chéng了le他tā的de使shǐ命mìng。

He accomplished his mission.

即jí使shǐ是shì一yí个gè小xiǎo孩hái子zi都dōu能néng理lǐ解jiě。

Even a child can understand that.

她tā使shǐ他tā长zhǎng大dà成chéng人rén。

She made a man of him.

会huì议yì室shì正zhèng在zài使shǐ用yòng中zhōng。

The meeting room is in use now.

即jí使shǐ有yǒu人rén比bǐ你nǐ漂piào亮liàng，也yě不bú会huì太tài多duō。

If there even are people more beautiful than you, there won't be many of them.

Stroke order for each character

Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.

使 shǐ · to make · 8 strokes

Related words

Words that share a character with 使.

使用	shǐyòng	to use; to employ
大使馆	dàshǐguǎn	embassy
使劲	shǐjìn	to exert all one's strength
促使	cùshǐ	to prompt; to induce; to spur
即使	jíshǐ	even if; even though
使得	shǐde	usable; serviceable; feasible; workable; doable
大使	dàshǐ	ambassador; envoy
天使	tiānshǐ	angel
使命	shǐmìng	mission; long-term task to which one devotes oneself
使者	shǐzhě	emissary; envoy
迫使	pòshǐ	to force; to compel
使唤	shǐhuan	to order sb around; (coll.) to handle (a draught animal, tool, machine etc)

Questions about 使

What does 使 mean?

使 (shǐ) means "to make; to cause" and is used as a verb.

How do you write 使?

使 is made of 1 character: 使 (8 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.

Is 使 an HSK word?

Yes. 使 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.

What is the difference between 使 and 让?

Both can mean "to make" or "to cause." 让 (ràng) is common in speech and can also mean "to let" or "to allow." 使 sounds more formal and written, and it mostly expresses causing a result.

How is 即使 used in a sentence?

即使 (jíshǐ) means "even if" and is usually paired with 也 (yě) in the second clause. Example: 即使下雨，我也去。(Jíshǐ xià yǔ, wǒ yě qù.) Even if it rains, I will still go.