HSK · Level 6
133 words
Chinese word
使
Pronunciation
Pinyinshǐ
Meaning
- verbmake
Example
他的决定使我改变了计划。tā de jué dìng shǐ wǒ gǎi biàn le jì huà
His decision made me change my plan.
More examples
他的态度使事情变得复杂。tā de tài dù shǐ shì qíng biàn de fù zá
His attitude made the situation complicated.
Core concept
Putting an agent or resource to work for a purpose, with an action or result following from that direction.
Common phrases
使计划顺利进行shǐ jì huà shùn lì jìn xíng
make the plan run smoothly
使人们注意到问题shǐ rén men zhù yì dào wèn tí
make people notice the problem
使工作更有效率shǐ gōng zuò gèng yǒu xiào lǜ
make work more efficient
Similar words
让ràng: Has someone do something, either by prompting the action or allowing it.
叫jiào: Gives someone a spoken instruction that leads to an action.
Definition in Chinese
以人或物为手段以达到目的的动词，既可表示使役（使某人做事），也可有‘使用’或‘派遣’的含义，在句中通常与宾语连用来表示因果或手段。yǐ rén huò wù wèi shǒu duàn yǐ dá dào mù dì de dòng cí jì kě biǎo shì shǐ yì shǐ mǒu rén zuò shì yě kě yǒu shǐ yòng huò pài qiǎn de hán yì zài jù zhōng tōng cháng yǔ bīn yǔ lián yòng lái biǎo shì yīn guǒ huò shǒu duàn
Word origin
The early idea behind 使 (shǐ, "send/make/use") was sending someone out to carry out a task, so directing an agent naturally broadened into causing events and using resources.
Usage tips
- A following adjective can state a change of condition, not only an action, so the sentence can focus on the result rather than on what the affected person does.
Other meanings
- sendverb
- useverb
Opposites
- 制止zhì zhǐpreventverb
Related words
- 使用shǐ yònguseverb
- 使唤shǐ huànboss aroundverb