字Study Chinese Characters
用

yòng to use

5 strokes

用 (yòng) is a Chinese character meaning “to use”. It is written from 月 (moon; month) and 丨 (vertical stroke), and takes 5 strokes.

Build the character for “to use”

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Learn this character

Structure

月 + 丨

Overlapping structure

  • 月 moon; month · yuè remnant
  • 丨 vertical stroke · gǔn remnant

Structure from: IDS 现代字形拆分（⿻月丨），已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：前 4 笔（撇、横折钩、横、横）与月一致，第 5 笔为贯穿中间的竖

Memory aid

A moon-shaped frame (月) with one straight stroke (丨) driven right through the middle — like a handle pinned into a tool so you can pick it up and use it.

This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.

Stroke order

5 strokes

In real words

  • 用力yòng lìto exert oneself; to use one's strength用 = yòng
  • 用心yòng xīnattentively; with care; diligently用 = yòng
  • 使用shǐ yòngto use; to employ; to apply用 = yòng
  • 利用lì yòngto use; to make use of用 = yòngHSK 4
  • 占用zhàn yòngto occupy and use; to take up (space, time)用 = yòng
  • 应用yìng yòngto apply; application用 = yòng
  • 用功yòng gōngto study hard; diligent用 = yòng
  • 用户yòng hùuser; account holder用 = yòng
  • 副作用fù zuò yòngside effect用 = yòng
  • 挪用nuó yòngto divert (funds) to another use; to misappropriate用 = yòng
  • 费用fèi yòngcost; expenses用 = yòng
  • 采用cǎi yòngto adopt; to use; to employ (a method, plan or material)用 = yòng
Go deeper

All readings

yòng main reading

to use

to use; to employ; to apply; usefulness; expense

使用；应用。也指用处或费用。 — studyhanzi 编写

Words with this reading

  • 用力yòng lìto exert oneself; to use one's strength用 = yòng
  • 用心yòng xīnattentively; with care; diligently用 = yòng
  • 使用shǐ yòngto use; to employ; to apply用 = yòng
  • 利用lì yòngto use; to make use of用 = yòngHSK 4
  • 占用zhàn yòngto occupy and use; to take up (space, time)用 = yòng
  • 应用yìng yòngto apply; application用 = yòng
  • 用功yòng gōngto study hard; diligent用 = yòng
  • 用户yòng hùuser; account holder用 = yòng
  • 副作用fù zuò yòngside effect用 = yòng
  • 挪用nuó yòngto divert (funds) to another use; to misappropriate用 = yòng
  • 费用fèi yòngcost; expenses用 = yòng
  • 采用cǎi yòngto adopt; to use; to employ (a method, plan or material)用 = yòng

Other characters with these parts

月 → 明有甩肋肌肘肖肚

丨 → 业个丫中丰串乔五

Easy to confuse with

月甩

Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions

Questions people ask about this character

What does 用 mean?

用 (yòng) means to use; to employ; to apply; usefulness; expense.

How do you pronounce 用?

It is pronounced yòng.

What parts is 用 made of?

月 (moon; month) and 丨 (vertical stroke). The recorded source is: IDS 现代字形拆分（⿻月丨），已对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：前 4 笔（撇、横折钩、横、横）与月一致，第 5 笔为贯穿中间的竖. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.

How many strokes does 用 have?

5. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.

What is the radical of 用?

用. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.

What words use 用?

Common ones are 用力 and 用心. The reading of 用 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.