The kanji 使 primarily means "to use," "to employ," or "to send." It implies utilizing something or someone for a particular purpose or in a specific way. It can refer to using tools, applying skills, employing people, or sending messages or items.

・On-yomi (音読み): シ (shi) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): つか.う (tsuka.u)

⚫︎使用 (しよう) Translation: Use; application; employment. ⚫︎大使 (たいし) Translation: Ambassador. ⚫︎使う (つかう) Translation: To use; to make use of.

The kanji 使 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, けいせいもじ). The left side is a component representing a person 人 (ひと, hito), and the right side originally depicted a hand 又 (また, mata). The hand acts on the person. So the meaning evolved to "to command someone to do something" then "to use." Over time, the form changed.