使 shǐ
“to make; to cause; to enable”
verbHSK 3 · 2021 list level 3
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
使 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 1666: 使 shǐ — Level 4; official annotation 4 (动). PDF page 121
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 使
使 (HSK 4) means 'to make' or 'to cause' someone or something to be or do something, in the pattern 使 + person/thing + verb/adjective phrase. It sounds written or formal, so everyday speech usually prefers 让; learn it first in simple result sentences such as 这件事使我很高兴.
例句Example sentences
- 这件事使我很担心。zhè jiàn shì shǐ wǒ hěn dān xīn.This matter makes me very worried.
- 他的帮助使我的学习更容易了。tā de bāng zhù shǐ wǒ de xué xí gèng róng yì le.His help made my studying easier.
- 这本书使我对中国历史感兴趣。zhè běn shū shǐ wǒ duì zhōng guó lì shǐ gǎn xìng qù.This book made me interested in Chinese history.
易混词Easily confused
使vs让
让 is the everyday spoken causative ('make/let') and is far more common in conversation; it can also mean 'to allow.' 使 is more formal or written and typically describes causing a state or feeling rather than giving permission.