使 – use, send on a mission, order

8 strokesTaught in grade 3#219 in newspaper frequencyN5 vocabulary

The kanji 使 means use, send on a mission, order, messenger, envoy, ambassador, cause. Its on’yomi (Chinese-derived reading) is シ (shi); its kun’yomi (native Japanese reading) is つか.う、つか.い、-つか.い、-づか.い (tsukau, tsukai, tsukai, zukai). It is written with 8 strokes, under radical 人 (no. 9).

Stroke order

Stroke order from KanjiVG. Practise others with the stroke order lookup.

Readings

Type	Reading	Romaji
On’yomi	シ	shi
Kun’yomi	つか.う	tsukau
Kun’yomi	つか.い	tsukai
Kun’yomi	-つか.い	tsukai
Kun’yomi	-づか.い	zukai

A dot separates the kanji’s part from the okurigana (kana written after it), e.g. まな.ぶ → 学ぶ.

Radical and components

Radical: 人 (Kangxi radical 9). Components: ノ・一・化・口.

Words using 使

使うつかうto use (a tool, method, etc.)大使館たいしかんembassy使用しようuse大使たいしambassador使命しめいmissionお使いおつかいerrand使用人しようにんemployee使い道つかいみちpurpose

Example sentences

「あなたの辞書を使ってもいいですか」「はい、どうぞ」

"Can I use your dictionary?" "Yes, here you are."

Tatoeba #237285

アジア諸国などから出稼ぎにきた外国人をメイドとして使うのが常識のようになっている。

It has become common practise to employ foreigners working abroad from Asian countries as maids.

Tatoeba #74153

お湯を全部使わないで。

Don't use all the hot water.

Tatoeba #226793

Kanji with the same radical

会人今代体作以保信件側任係価住位

Sources: KANJIDIC2 (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0), KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0), Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). About the data.