(shǐ) - to cause, to make; to use, to employ in Mandarin
shǐTraditional: 使
Translation
to cause, to make; to use, to employ
Word origin
使 (shǐ) means 'to cause, to make' and 'to employ, to send'. It is a phono-semantic compound with the 亻(person) radical for meaning and 吏 (lì, an official) as the rest of the body, the underlying sense being to dispatch a person to act.
- Origin
- phono-semantic compound
- Root
- 亻(person radical) + 吏 (lì, official)
Stroke order
使
Examples
。
This matter makes me very worried.
。
His words caused me to change my mind.
具。
Using this tool will be more convenient.
鼓励。
The teacher's encouragement gave him more confidence.
。
Music makes people relax.
使 (shǐ) as a causative verb means to cause, to make, or to enable - typically followed by a subject plus adjective or verb complement structure (使我高兴, makes me happy). It is more formal than 让 (ràng) or 叫 (jiào), which have the same causative function in colloquial speech. In the compound 使用 (shǐ yòng) it means to use or to employ (a tool or method). 使 alone can also mean an envoy or emissary (大使, ambassador).
Where this fits
Appears in 3 words
Multi-character compounds in the corpus that contain 使.
Used in
Grammar articles
(8)Mandarin Advanced Grammar (C1-C2 / HSK 6+): Chengyu, Classical Remnants, and Register
Mandarin Causatives 使 (shǐ), 令 (lìng) and 让 (ràng): Making Someone Feel or Do Something
Mandarin Conditionals: 如果, 要是, 的话 and the 就 That Finishes the Sentence
How to Say Even Though and Even If in Mandarin: 虽然, 即使, 就算 and 尽管
就 (jiù) vs 才 (cái) in Mandarin: Sooner Than Expected, Later Than Expected
The Spoken Passives 让 (ràng), 叫 (jiào) and 给 (gěi): What People Say Instead of 被
无论 and 不管 in Mandarin: The No Matter What Frame (无论/不管 ... 都/也)
The Mandarin 者 (zhě) Suffix: 作者, 读者, 前者, and Naming the One Who Does It
Add to review queue
Track this word in your spaced-repetition queue and be tested on it at the right interval.
Go to my review queueMandarin · Free printables
使: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "使" (to cause, to make; to use, to employ): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
Free for members
The printable worksheets, infographics and PDFs are free with an account. Start a free week and download as many as you like.
Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 11.