使

• Pinyin: shǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 使 = 亻(person) + 吏 (official), originally meaning to send on a mission; extended to mean to cause or to make

Meaning

To make; to cause; to enable. A formal causative verb indicating that one thing causes another to happen.

A literary and formal causative verb used in the pattern 使 + object + verb/adjective (使人高兴 = make people happy, 使生活更好 = make life better). More formal than 让 (which has the same meaning but is more colloquial). Very common in written Chinese, news, speeches, and formal contexts. Also appears in compound words: 使用 (to use), 大使 (ambassador).

Examples

1. 这件事使他非常生气。 This matter made him very angry.
2. 老师的鼓励使我更加努力学习。 The teacher's encouragement made me study even harder.
3. 科技的发展使我们的生活更方便了。 The development of technology has made our lives more convenient.

Usage Guide

Context: writing, news, formal speech, academic

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这个消息使大家都很高兴。(This news made everyone very happy.)
• 运动使身体更健康。(Exercise makes the body healthier.)

Don't Say

• 你使我去买菜。(In casual conversation, don't use 使 to ask someone to do something — use 让 instead. 使 is for describing causation, not giving instructions.)

Origin & History

使 originally depicted a person (亻) being sent on a mission (吏 = official/envoy). The sense of directing or causing someone to do something evolved into the general causative meaning.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal