How to write 使 (shǐ) — Stroke Order, Radical & Practice

shǐ cause, mission, orders; envoy, messenger, ambassador 8 strokes · Radical 亻 (man) · HSK 4 required writing character

Pronunciation & meaning

Pronounced shǐ.

Stroke Order & Practice

Click Animate to see the correct stroke order, then Practice to trace it yourself.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
使 — 8 strokes, numbered in writing order. 笔顺图（数字为下笔顺序）。

Decomposition

使 breaks down into 2 components arranged as Left + Right. Recognizing the components makes the character easier to remember and write.

使 =
亻 left man
吏 right government official

Radical

The radical of 使 is 亻 — meaning man. Radicals are the indexing components used in Chinese dictionaries; they often hint at a character's broad meaning category.

Other HSK 4 characters that share this radical: 保任倒低例俩份停傲倍付傅.

How the character is built

使 is an ideographic compound — its meaning is suggested by the combination of its parts rather than by sound. A person 亻 working for the government 吏.

HSK 4 Words Containing 使

即使 jíshǐ even if; even though
即使下雨，我们也要出发。
Jíshǐ xià yǔ, wǒmen yě yào chūfā.
Even if it rains, we still have to set off.
使 shǐ to make; to cause; to use
这件事使他很生气。
Zhè jiàn shì shǐ tā hěn shēngqì.
This matter made him very angry.
使馆 shǐguǎn embassy
我去美国使馆办签证。
Wǒ qù Měiguó shǐguǎn bàn qiānzhèng.
I'm going to the US embassy to get a visa.
使用 shǐyòng to use; to employ
请正确使用这个设备。
Qǐng zhèngquè shǐyòng zhège shèbèi.
Please use this equipment correctly.

Seen in the Real Exams / 真题例句

使 appears in 77 questions across the 19 mock & official HSK 4 exams on this site. Real exam sentences using it:

中国人吃饭时使用筷子。
From Mock Exam 07 →
理想能够使人走出困境。
From Mock Exam 17 →
教育孩子要使用正确的方法。
From Mock Exam 04 →

Tasks Featuring 使 / 相关任务

Words containing 使 appear in these official HSK 4 task scenarios — study the character in context:

📚 讲述中外友好故事
China-World Friendship · 使馆

FAQ

What does 使 mean in Chinese?

使 (shǐ) means cause, mission, orders; envoy, messenger, ambassador. It is one of the 150 characters required for the HSK 4 writing section.

How many strokes does 使 have?

使 is written in 8 strokes. Use the practice tool above to see the correct stroke order and trace it yourself.

What is the radical of 使?

The radical of 使 is 亻 (man). Other HSK 4 characters with the same radical include 保, 任, 倒, 低, 例.

What is the pinyin for 使?

使 is pronounced shǐ.

What HSK 4 words use 使?

In our HSK 4 vocabulary, 使 appears in 4 words, including 即使 (jíshǐ), 使 (shǐ), 使馆 (shǐguǎn), 使用 (shǐyòng). See the full list above.

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