HSK 3 · Verbs

用 yòng “to use” in Chinese

Same in Traditional

What 用 means

to use
to make use of
to employ
(coverb) with
using

More meanings from CC-CEDICT

to need
to have to (usu. used in the negative or in questions)
usefulness
utility
(bound form) expense
outlay

How to say 用

用yòng4th tone, falling

用 in a sentence

筷子怎么用？
Kuàizi zěnme yòng?
How do you use chopsticks?
Sentence #2257020 from Tatoeba · translation adapted
我想用信用卡付款。
Wǒ xiǎng yòng xìnyòngkǎ fùkuǎn.
I’d like to pay by credit card.
Sentence #10733962 from Tatoeba · translation adapted
我们的糖用完了。
Wǒmen de táng yòng wán le.
We’ve run out of sugar.
Sentence #349709 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

How 用 is built

Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.

The character 用 (yòng) drawn as one shape

用yòngto use; to make use of; to employ

用 is a single shape of 5 strokes. Learn it whole, then watch its stroke order below.

How to write 用

用 5 strokes

Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.

用 (yòng) stroke order chart: each stroke of the character in the order you write it — Stroke order chart for 用 (yòng). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.

Words related to 用

Words with 用

不用búyòng · no need to 有用yǒuyòng · useful 常用chángyòng · commonly used 信用卡xìnyòngkǎ · credit card 使用shǐyòng · to use 作用zuòyòng · effect 利用lìyòng · to make use of 应用yìngyòng · to put to use 运用yùnyòng · to use 实用shíyòng · practical

More words: Common Verbs

刷牙shuāyá · brush one’s teeth 提高tígāo · to raise 忘记wàngjì · forget 洗澡xǐzǎo · bathe 遇到yùdào · to meet 站zhàn · stand 照顾zhàogu · take care of 干gàn · to do

FAQs

What does 用 mean in English?

用 (yòng) means “to use” or “to make use of”. It is an HSK 3 word.

How do you pronounce 用?

Say it yòng: yòng with a 4th tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.

Is 用 the same in Traditional Chinese?

Yes. 用 is written the same way in Simplified and Traditional characters.

How do you type 用 on a keyboard?

Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type yong with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 用 from the suggestions. Typing yong into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.

What HSK level is 用?

用 is an HSK 3 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.

Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.