用
yòng
- Pinyin
- yòng
- Pinyin (Plain)
- yong
- Tone
- 4
- Strokes
- 5
- Radical
- 用
- Readings
- yòngyongTone: 4to use; to make use of; to employ; (coverb) with; using; to need; to have to (usu. used in the negative or in questions); usefulness; utility; (bound form) expense; outlay; (courteous) to eat; to drink; (literary) hence; thereforeOrder: 0Primary
- Stroke Order Code
- Speed
- Stroke Order Data
- ["M 312 737 Q 264 773 237 761 Q 225 752 233 739 Q 251 712 258 659 Q 258 416 232 316 Q 207 219 133 77 Q 129 70 127 63 Q 126 51 136 54 Q 166 63 231 179 Q 247 213 262 251 Q 316 413 318 594 Q 321 688 323 695 C 326 725 326 728 312 737 Z", "M 506 728 Q 582 741 671 751 Q 696 755 706 741 Q 722 732 727 662 Q 746 428 734 161 Q 733 121 719 111 Q 704 101 631 118 Q 613 122 614 111 Q 615 102 629 96 Q 695 47 729 9 Q 751 -13 766 -10 Q 779 -6 791 25 Q 809 74 807 146 Q 786 513 788 650 Q 788 692 801 717 Q 814 741 803 753 Q 793 769 741 796 Q 717 808 646 787 Q 492 756 312 737 C 282 734 294 687 323 695 Q 327 701 454 720 L 506 728 Z", "M 536 519 Q 641 546 643 548 Q 650 555 647 562 Q 640 572 615 578 Q 591 582 537 562 L 481 546 Q 439 539 391 532 Q 360 526 382 512 Q 410 497 481 507 L 536 519 Z", "M 534 361 Q 546 364 650 378 Q 660 377 669 390 Q 670 402 647 411 Q 617 432 537 408 Q 536 408 534 407 L 479 395 Q 455 391 434 388 Q 406 385 376 381 Q 348 377 370 360 Q 403 336 434 343 Q 453 347 479 351 L 534 361 Z", "M 481 126 Q 487 101 494 91 Q 500 84 507 86 Q 522 96 529 155 Q 533 203 534 361 L 534 407 Q 534 455 536 519 L 537 562 Q 537 616 549 681 Q 552 700 538 709 Q 519 722 506 728 C 480 742 440 747 454 720 Q 454 717 469 693 Q 481 672 481 546 L 481 507 Q 481 455 479 395 L 479 351 Q 472 221 481 126 Z"]
- Meaning
- “用” most commonly means “to use” or “to make use of” something (e.g., a tool, method, or resource). It can also refer more generally to “usage” or “purpose,” as in how something is used or what it is used for.
- Metadata
- Locale: enCached At: 7/15/2026, 3:13:52 AM
Usage
用 is a very common character meaning “to use,” and learners first meet it in basic verbs and patterns. As a verb, it appears in phrases like 用手机 (to use a phone), 用刀 (to use a knife), or 用中文 (to use Chinese [language]). It also shows up in set expressions like 不用 (no need / don’t have to), which is extremely frequent in daily conversation: 不用谢 (“no need to thank [me]”) or 不用担心 (“no need to worry”). In many of these cases, 用 keeps its core sense of “use” or “need,” even when translated more loosely in English. Learners also see 用 in grammar patterns that mark means, method, or tool, roughly equivalent to “by/with/using.” For example, 用手机点菜 (“order food using a phone”), 用筷子吃饭 (“eat with chopsticks”), or 用这个办法 (“use this method”). In written or slightly more formal Chinese, 用 can appear in more abstract phrases like 利用 (“make use of, exploit”) or 运用 (“apply, put into practice”), which still share the same core idea of using something. Overall, modern everyday usage centers on this basic “use / with / by means of” meaning.
Handwriting Notes
用 is a compact, mostly rectangular character that tends to look slightly taller than it is wide in normal handwriting. The top horizontal line is usually the longest stroke, giving the character a clear “ceiling,” and the interior strokes form a box-like shape with an opening at the bottom. In casual writing, people often simplify it by tightening the internal space so the central strokes sit close together, and the bottom opening may become narrow or slanted. The vertical and diagonal elements can lean slightly, and corners may become more curved or hooked, so different writers’ 用 can look quite distinct while still being easily recognizable. Modern AI handwriting recognition systems are trained on many such handwritten variants of 用 so they can correctly identify the character even when it is written quickly, sloppily, or in a personal style.
Description
用 is a common Chinese character meaning “to use” or “to employ.” It appears in words like 使用 (to use) and 用处 (use, usefulness). In modern Chinese, it often functions as a verb or is used before a noun to indicate the means or tool for an action.
Common Words
- 用yong4to use; to make use of; to employ
- 用户yong4 hu4user
- 费用fei4 yong4cost
- 用法yong4 fa3usage
- 饮用yin3 yong4drink
Example Sentences
我喜欢用。
wo3 xi3 huan5 yong4
I like to use; to make use of; to employ.
用户很常见。
yong4 hu4 hen3 chang2 jian4
用户 is very common.
我们在学习费用。
wo3 men5 zai4 xue2 xi2 fei4 yong4
We are learning cost.
这个用法很重要。
zhe4 ge5 yong4 fa3 hen3 zhong4 yao4
This usage is important.
请写一下“用”。
qing3 xie3 yi1 xia4 yong4
Please write '用'.