Kanji

Jōyō kanji, Taught in grade 3

JLPT level: N4

219 of 2500 most used kanji in newspapers

Stroke count: 8

Meaning: use, send on a mission, order, messenger, envoy, ambassador, cause

Kunyomi: つか.う つか.い -つか.い -づか.い

Onyomi:

Composition:

使

Radical

Radical:

Reading: にんべん

Meaning: man, human

Strokes: 2

Examples

Examples with audio

使用する(しようする)   use [v.t.]

使する(こうしする)   exercise [v.t.]

使する(くしする)   use freely

使役形(しえきけい)   causative form

使命(しめい)   mission

使(たいし)   ambassador

使(てんし)   angel

使う(つかう)   use

魔法使い(まほうつかい)   wizard

Onyomi Examples

使 messenger, police and judicial chief (Heian and Kamakura periods), klesha (polluting thoughts such as greed, hatred and delusion, which result in suffering)

使 シシャ messenger, envoy, emissary

使 トクシ special envoy

実力行使 ジツリョクコウシ use of force

Kunyomi Examples

使 つかう to use (a tool, method, etc.), to make use of, to put to use, to use (a person, animal, puppet, etc.), to employ, to handle, to manage, to manipulate, to use (time, money, etc.), to spend, to consume, to use (language), to speak

使 つかい errand, mission, going as envoy, messenger, bearer, errand boy, errand girl, familiar spirit, use, usage, user, trainer, tamer, charmer

使い方 つかいかた way of using (something), way to use, how to use, usage, use, way of handling (employees, subordinates, etc.), way of treating, treatment, management

春の使 はるのつかい Japanese bush warbler, messenger of spring