Meaning of 用
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to use; to make use of; to employ
- (coverb) with; using
- to need; to have to (usu. used in the negative or in questions)
- usefulness; utility
- (bound form) expense; outlay
- (courteous) to eat; to drink
- (literary) hence; therefore
How to use 用
用 is a very common verb meaning "to use," and it also works as a coverb meaning "with" or "using" before another verb. 我用筷子吃饭。(Wǒ yòng kuàizi chīfàn.) I eat with chopsticks.
The shape of 用 (yòng) looks like a sturdy frame or fence with a post through the middle, something solid you can put to work. Picture a tool rack you reach for whenever you need to use something.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 用 with 甩 (shuǎi, to swing), which has a hooked stroke that sticks out on the left. Also, many learners put 用 after the main verb as English does, but the 用 phrase must come before the verb: say 用中文说 (yòng Zhōngwén shuō), not 说用中文.
用 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
用 yòng · to use · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Related words
Words that share a character with 用.
| 不用 | bùyòng | need not |
| 有用 | yǒuyòng | useful |
| 使用 | shǐyòng | to use; to employ |
| 作用 | zuòyòng | to act on; to affect; action; function; activity |
| 信用卡 | xìnyòngkǎ | credit card |
| 常用 | cháng yòng | in common usage |
| 利用 | lìyòng | to exploit; to make use of |
| 没用 | méiyòng | useless |
| 费用 | fèiyong | cost; expenditure |
| 采用 | cǎiyòng | to adopt; to employ |
| 适用 | shìyòng | to be applicable |
| 应用 | yìngyòng | to put to use; to apply; practical; applied (science, linguistics etc) |
Questions about 用
What does 用 mean?
用 (yòng) means "to use; to make use of; to employ; (coverb) with; using" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 用?
用 is made of 1 character: 用 (5 strokes). That is 5 strokes in total.
Is 用 an HSK word?
Yes. 用 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 不用 mean, and how is it different from 不要?
不用 (bùyòng) means "there is no need to," as in 不用谢 (bùyòng xiè), "no need to thank me." 不要 (bùyào) means "don't" and gives a command or prohibition, so it sounds stronger.
Can 用 be used politely to mean eat or drink?
Yes. In courteous speech, hosts or servers may say 请用茶 (qǐng yòng chá), "please have some tea." This sounds more formal than using 吃 (chī) or 喝 (hē).