运用

• Pinyin: yùn yòng
• Hanzi breakdown: 运 = 辶 (walk) + 云 (cloud), to move or carry; 用 = pictograph of a bucket, to use/apply

Meaning

To use; to apply; to utilise; to put into practice. To make practical use of knowledge, skills, or methods.

More purposeful and active than simply 用 (to use). 运用 implies applying something learned or known to a real situation. Commonly used with 知识 (knowledge), 技能 (skills), 方法 (methods), and 策略 (strategy). Similar to 应用, but 运用 emphasises flexible, skilled application.

Examples

1. 学生要学会灵活运用所学的知识去解决生活中的实际问题。 Students need to learn how to flexibly apply what they have learned to solve real-life practical problems.
2. 她善于运用色彩和构图，设计出的作品既新颖又和谐。 She is skilled at applying colour and composition, and the designs she creates are both original and harmonious.
3. 他在管理工作中运用了很多现代化的方法，取得了很好的效果。 He applied many modern management methods in his work and achieved very good results.

Usage Guide

Context: academic, professional, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 他能灵活运用多种语言与客户沟通。(He can flexibly apply multiple languages to communicate with clients.)
• 学了理论还要懂得如何运用到实践中去。(After studying theory, you also need to know how to apply it in practice.)

Don't Say

• 将'运用'和'使用'完全互换 (Don't treat 运用 and 使用 as interchangeable — 运用 implies skilled, purposeful application of knowledge or ability, while 使用 is the neutral word for simply using something)

Origin & History

A compound of 运 (to move/carry) and 用 (to use; pictograph of a vessel). Together they convey the idea of actively moving something into use — deploying a skill or resource.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal