DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT

當槍使

简当枪使 · 繁當槍使

Mandarin · pinyin dāng qiāng shǐ

to use (sb) as a tool

Full entryShow on map

Characters in this entry

當: dāng · bear, accept, undertake; just
槍: Look up this written character
使: shǐ · cause, send on a mission, order; envoy, messenger, ambassador
当: dāng · bear, accept, undertake; just
枪: qiāng · spear, lance; gun, rifle

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

Explore the spelling

Mandarin tones

1–1–3 · dang1 qiang1 shi3

Compare attested words with these syllables ↗

Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.

Connected dictionary

4character links

Explore word families ↗Compare pronunciations ↗Open character structure ↗

Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.

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.

當槍使 · find source passages ↗ · 当枪使 · find source passages ↗

Explore Classical grammar ↗

Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

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

phrase

(colloquial, figurative) to use (someone); to exploit (someone)

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

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack