to use; to employ
HSK level
使用 is written with 13 strokes (使: 8, 用: 5). The animation replays automatically.
使用 (shǐyòng) is a two-character verb meaning 'to use, to employ, to make use of' a tool, method, resource, or piece of equipment.
It is the formal, written-leaning counterpart to the everyday verb 用 (yòng). You see 使用 on product manuals (使用方法, instructions for use), warning signs (禁止使用, use prohibited), and in official or technical prose.
Two differences from English 'use' matter: first, Chinese splits register — where English uses 'use' everywhere, Mandarin picks 使用 for formal contexts and 用 for chat; second, 使用 takes a concrete object (a phone, a room, software) but is awkward for abstract 'use' in the sense of 'it's no use' (没用) or 'use up' (用完), where 用 or other verbs take over. Think of 使用 as the label-and-manual word.
Note: 使用 is slightly more formal and deliberate than the plain verb 用 (yòng). It appears in manuals, signage, and written instructions; in casual speech people usually just say 用.
Character by character
Memory hook: 使 (make/employ) + 用 (use) = to actively put something into service — the formal 'use.'
使用前请阅读说明书。
Shǐyòng qián qǐng yuèdú shuōmíngshū.
Please read the manual before use.
written
这个软件可以免费使用。
Zhège ruǎnjiàn kěyǐ miǎnfèi shǐyòng.
This software is free to use.
neutral
考试的时候不能使用手机。
Kǎoshì de shíhou bùnéng shǐyòng shǒujī.
You can't use a phone during the exam.
neutral
正确使用工具很重要。
Zhèngquè shǐyòng gōngjù hěn zhòngyào.
Using tools correctly is important.
written
用 is the everyday spoken verb 'to use.' Say 用手机, not 使用手机, in conversation. 使用 is for manuals, signs, and formal writing. Same meaning, different register.
运用 means to apply or wield skillfully — knowledge, a method, a strategy (运用技巧). 使用 is plainer, for physical tools and resources. 运用 carries a sense of skillful application.
利用 means to utilize or exploit, often for personal advantage and sometimes negatively (利用别人 — to take advantage of someone). 使用 is neutral 'use.' Don't swap them when the tone matters.
Acquire it by listening
Fluentide turns real news into Chinese listening at your exact level, so words like 使用 show up again and again in natural sentences — with pinyin and translation every time. No flashcards. Free to start.
