Definitions
(verb)
to make; to cause; to enable
(verb)
to use; to employ
(verb)
to send; to dispatch
(noun)
envoy; messenger
About
The character "使" is structured with the person radical 亻 on the left and the component 吏 on the right, which historically signifies an official, indicating a connection to human agency in formal contexts. Its earliest attested meanings revolved around sending or ordering someone, particularly in the sense of dispatching an envoy or executing a command. Over centuries, the semantic scope of "使" expanded to encompass causing an event or state, as well as utilizing an object, leading to its modern senses of "to use" or "to make happen". The component 吏 contributes both phonetically and semantically, anchoring the character in notions of authority and action, while its applications shifted from concrete dispatches to abstract causation and instrumental functions.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
学习使我进步。
使用手机很方便。
他使我感到惊讶。
运动能使身体健康。
恶劣天气使航班延误。
良好的教育能使孩子未来成功。
政府的新政策使经济发展加速。
如果缺乏沟通，会使双方产生误会。