音読み: シ
訓読み: つかう
画数: 8
部首: にんべん（亻）
Meaning
Use / Messenger / Utilize
- Basic forms
- 使う — to use / base form
- 使います — polite / I use / masu form
- 使った — past / used / ta form
- 使って — te-form / use (and …) / linking or request
- 使わない — negative / don’t use / negative form
- 使えば — if I use / conditional
- 使え・使ってみろ — use it! / try using it! / imperative
- Other common forms
- 使いたい — want to use / 〜たい form
- 使える — can use / potential form
- 使われた — was used / passive
- 使わせる — make someone use / causative
- 使っていた — was using / past progressive
- More
- 使おう — let’s use / 〜よう form
- 使っている — using / in use / progressive
- 使われている — being used / passive progressive
使う (つかう) is a godan (う-verb). The final う changes to い / え / わ depending on the form — for example, 使います, 使える, 使わない. A very common and essential verb in daily conversation.
- 使用 — use; usage
- 使者 — messenger
- 大使 — ambassador
- 天使 — angel
- 使い道 — way of using
More examples - tap to expand
- 使途 — purpose of use; expenditure
- 行使 — exercise (of rights, authority)
- 使命 — mission; duty
Compound Verbs - tap to expand
- 使い切る — to use up; to exhaust
- 使いこなす — to master (a tool); to handle well
- 使い回す — to reuse; to use repeatedly
- 使い捨てる — to use once and throw away
- 使い出す — to start using
- 使い始める — to begin using
- 使い続ける — to keep using
- 使い終わる — to finish using
- 使い分ける — to use properly (for different purposes)
使 is a compound of 人 (person) and 吏 (official, serve). It originally referred to someone who works or serves on behalf of others — a messenger or servant. Over time, it came to mean “use” in a broader sense.