Chinese word

使唤

Pronunciation

Pinyinshǐ huàn

Meaning

  • verborder around

Example

他总是使唤我。tā zǒng shì shǐ huàn wǒ

He always orders me around.

Illustration for 使唤 (order around)

More examples

她讨厌总是被人使唤。tā tǎo yàn zǒng shì bèi rén shǐ huàn

She hates always being ordered around by others.

Core concept

Turning another person into a tool for handling one's own tasks through commands.

Common phrases

  • 被人使唤bèi rén shǐ huàn

    be ordered around by others

  • 别再使唤别人bié zài shǐ huàn bié rén

    stop ordering others around

Similar words

使shǐ: Make someone do something or put someone to work, without necessarily stressing a commanding tone.
叫jiào: Tell or ask someone to do something, usually as a spoken instruction or request.
命令mìng lìng: Give someone a strong order that demands obedience, often from a position of authority.
指使zhí shǐ: Direct or manipulate someone into doing something, often for one's own purpose.

Definition in Chinese

用命令或权力让别人做事，常带有不尊重对方的口气，常用于口语。yòng mìng lìng huò quán lì ràng bié rén zuò shì cháng dài yǒu bù zūn zhòng duì fāng de kǒu qì cháng yòng yú kóu yǔ

Word origin

使 (shǐ, "make use of; order") + 唤 (huàn, "call") suggests calling a person in for service, which developed into a colloquial verb for making that person work on command.

Usage tips

  • Its conversational register matters: even when the task itself is ordinary, this word can make the speaker sound as if the other person's time and choice do not matter.

Other meanings

  • put to workverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word