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What is the Kanji for "Use"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Use", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Use" is "使".

This kanji has 2 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "Tsuka".

Its onyomi reading is "Shi".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 2 parts:

The radical "亻" means "Person" . And The kanji "吏" means "Governmental official", "Officer", and "An official" and can be read as "Ri".

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "使" mean in japanese?

"使" means "Use".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Third Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N4 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

使う: "Use". The Japanese verb '使う (つかう)' means 'to use'. This verb is used to express the action of utilizing or employing something. It can be used with a wide variety of objects, such as tools, devices, skills, and even time. For example: I use a pen - (ペンを使う), She uses her skills to cook - (彼女は自分の技術を使って料理する)

大使館: "Embassy". The Japanese noun '大使館 (たいしかん)' means 'embassy'. An embassy is the official office of an ambassador or diplomatic representative in a foreign country. It serves as the headquarters for a country's diplomatic activities within another nation. For example: The Japanese embassy is located downtown - (日本大使館は市内にあります). We visited the embassy to apply for a visa - (ビザの申請のため大使館に行きました).

使用: "Use". The verbal noun '使用 (しよう)' means 'use'. It refers to the action of utilizing or employing something. This word is often used to describe the way in which a tool, resource, or service is applied. For example: The use of technology has become more prevalent - (技術の使用がより一般的になってきた). He is making good use of his time - (彼は自分の時間を上手に使用している).

使用人: "Servant". The Japanese noun '使用人 (しようにん)' refers to a servant or attendant who performs domestic duties in a household. This person is usually employed by a wealthy or high-ranking individual to assist with daily tasks and chores. The '使用人' plays an important role in traditional Japanese households and is often treated with respect. For example: The servant prepared the meals - (使用人が食事の用意をした). The lord had his servants clean the house - (殿様は使用人に家を掃除させた).

行使: "Exercise" or "Implementation". The noun '行使 (こうし)' can mean 'the exercise' or 'the implementation' of something. It refers to the active use or application of a right, power, or ability. For example: The government exercised its authority - (政府は権力を行使した). The company is implementing new policies - (その企業は新しい方針を行使している).

大使: "Ambassador". The Japanese noun '大使(たいし)' refers to an ambassador, which is a diplomatic representative of a government or international organization. Ambassadors are responsible for representing their country's interests and conducting negotiations in foreign nations. For example: The ambassador met with the president - (大使は大統領と会談した). The new ambassador arrived today - (新大使が今日到着した).

使い: "Use". The noun '使い (つかい)' means 'use'. This word refers to the act of utilizing or employing something for a particular purpose. It can be used to describe how something is being applied or how it functions. For example: I found a good use for this pen - (この鉛筆の使い道を見つけた). What is the best use for this tool? - (この道具の使い道は何ですか?)

使い道: "Use" or "Purpose". The Japanese noun '使い道 (つかいみち)' refers to the way something is used or the purpose for which it is intended. It describes how an object, resource, or skill can be applied or utilized. For example: This machine has many uses - (この機械には様々な使い道がある). What is the purpose of this tool? - (この道具の使い道は何ですか?)

使: "Use". The Japanese suffix '使 (し)' means 'use'. This suffix is commonly used to form nouns and verbs that indicate the use or application of something. For example: 実用 (じつよう) - practical use, 使用 (しよう) - to use. The '使' kanji by itself can also carry this meaning of 'use' or 'utilize'.

使命: "Mission". The noun '使命 (しめい)' refers to one's assigned duty, purpose or calling. It expresses a sense of responsibility or obligation that an individual or organization has to fulfill a particular task or goal. For example: It is my mission to help the community - (私の使命はコミュニティを助けることです). They have a sacred mission to protect the environment - (彼らは環境を守るという神聖な使命を持っている).

使者: "Messenger". The Japanese noun '使者 (ししゃ)' means 'messenger'. This word refers to someone who is tasked with delivering a message or communication on behalf of another person or organization. It can be used in both formal and informal contexts. For example: The king's messenger arrived - (王様の使者が到着した). She is the messenger for our company - (彼女は私たちの会社の使者です).

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "し" is read as "shi". The hiragana "つ" is read as "tsu". And The hiragana "か" is read as "ka".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.