DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

用得著

简用得着 · 繁用得著

Mandarin · pinyin yòng de zháo

to be able to use; useable; to have a use for
(in a question) to be necessary to

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Characters in this entry

用: yòng · use, employ, apply, operate; use
得: dé · obtain, get, gain, acquire
著: zhù · zhe · manifest; (Cant.) to wear
着: zhe · make move, take action

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–5–2 · yong4 de5 zhao2

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

用得著 · find source passages ↗ · 用得着 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

verb

(colloquial) to find something useful; to need
(colloquial) there is need to; it is necessary or worthwhile to

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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