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促使 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
促使cùshǐto induceHSK 5, v, rank #10377, Hard
促使cùshǐto promoteHSK 5, v, rank #10377, Hard
促使cùshǐto urgeHSK 5, v, rank #10377, Hard
促使cùshǐto impelHSK 5, v, rank #10377, Hard
促使cùshǐto bring aboutHSK 5, v, rank #10377, Hard
促使cùshǐto provokeHSK 5, v, rank #10377, Hard
促使cùshǐto drive (sb to do sth)HSK 5, v, rank #10377, Hard
促使cùshǐto catalyzeHSK 5, v, rank #10377, Hard
促使cùshǐto actuateHSK 5, v, rank #10377, Hard
促使cùshǐto contribute to (some development)HSK 5, v, rank #10377, Hard
cùshǐ(cu4shi3) T4
  1. 1to induce
  2. 2to promote
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March 24, 2026
促使cùshǐ(cu4shi3)

促使 (cùshǐ) means to induce or promote action, often by urging someone to do something. It is commonly used in contexts involving motivation, encouragement, or instigation, such as urging a colleague to complete a task or promoting social change.

Frequency#10377DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese society, the concept of urging or promoting action is often tied to collective responsibility and community goals, reflecting the importance of harmony and collaboration in achieving progress.

Memory Tip

Think of 促 (cù) as 'encouraging' someone to 'push' (推动) towards an action and 使 (shǐ) as 'making' it happen. Imagine a coach pushing their team to perform better, which helps you remember both the meaning and the pronunciation.

Meanings of 促使

cùshǐ(cu4shi3)
1to induce
2to promote
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

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About 促使

促使Simplified
—Strokes
—Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#10377Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L5IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1

Podcast: 促使

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Podcast: 促使

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AI Study Notes for 促使

Quick Contrast

推动 (tuīdòng) - use 促使 when emphasizing the act of urging or encouraging someone specifically, while 推动 focuses more on driving or promoting a process or initiative.

Memory Mnemonic

Think of 促 (cù) as 'encouraging' someone to 'push' (推动) towards an action and 使 (shǐ) as 'making' it happen. Imagine a coach pushing their team to perform better, which helps you remember both the meaning and the pronunciation.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 促使 with similar verbs like 促进 (cùjìn), which focuses more on promoting rather than urging. It is typically used in formal contexts, so be mindful of the tone in professional settings. Common collocations include 促使某人 (to urge someone) and 促使改变 (to induce change).

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK 5 word, 促使 connects well with other verbs related to motivation and influence like 影响 (yǐngxiǎng - to influence) and 促进 (cùjìn - to promote). Focus on its usage in both written and spoken contexts to better understand its nuances.

Cultural Note

In Chinese society, the concept of urging or promoting action is often tied to collective responsibility and community goals, reflecting the importance of harmony and collaboration in achieving progress.

Common Mistakes

Learners often misuse 促使 when they mean to say 'promote' in a more general sense, leading to phrases like '促使销售' (urge sales) instead of the correct '促进销售' (promote sales). Remember, 促使 is more about inducing action.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 促使

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Component Characters

促cùurgent
9 strokes亻
View full entry
使shǐto make
HSK 48 strokes亻
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Write 促使

促
使

Practice writing 促使 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 促使

促使 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 10 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

其目的是____人们结识邻居。

The idea is to encourage people to get to know their neighbours.

Example Sentences for 促使 (5)

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1
其目的是促使人们结识邻居。

qí mù de shì cù shǐ rén mén jié shí lín jū。

The idea is to encourage people to get to know their neighbours.
2
这些情绪有可能促使人们想要推翻现行的体制。

zhè xiē qíng xù yǒu kě néng cù shǐ rén mén xiǎng yào tuī fān xiàn háng de tǐ zhì。

These feelings are likely to make people attempt to overthrow the system.
3
对种族主义的憎恨促使他写了《阿尔及尔汽车旅馆事件》一书。

duì zhǒng zú zhǔ yì de zēng hèn cù shǐ tā xiě le《 《 ā ěr jí ěr qì chē lǚ guǎn shì》 jiàn 》。

His abhorrence of racism led him to write The Algiers Motel Incident.
4
哥仑布促使打破地球是平的的理论.

gē lún bù cù shǐ dǎ pò dì qiú shì píng de de lǐ lùn.

Columbus helped to explode the theory that the earth is flat.
5
如果这种液体洒在花上以后, 会促使蕃茄结实.

rú guǒ zhè zhǒng yè tǐ sǎ zài huā shàng yǐ hòu, , huì cù shǐ fán qié jié.

This liquid, if sprayed on the flowers, helps to set the tomatoes.

Cultural Notes for 促使

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese society, the concept of urging or promoting action is often tied to collective responsibility and community goals, reflecting the importance of harmony and collaboration in achieving progress.

Frequently Asked Questions about 促使

You can say, '他的发言促使我们思考这个问题' (His speech urged us to think about this issue).