借用
jièyòng · HSK 7
borrow
📚 借用 = 借 borrow + 用 use; to borrow something and put it to use
借 means borrow or lend; 用 means use. Stacked together they mean taking the loan of something and using it, often for a different purpose than intended.
借 — person radical 亻 + 昔 (formerly)
借 combines the person radical 亻 with 昔, which provides the sound and originally meant 'former times.' The character depicts a person engaging in an act tied to time — borrowing or lending something with the expectation of return. Today it means 'to borrow' or 'to lend.'
用 — pictograph of a bucket or wooden pail
用 originally depicted a bucket or container, possibly a sacrificial vessel made of wood. Over time it was borrowed to mean 'to use' or 'employ,' losing its concrete object sense. The modern meaning 'use' has been standard since early classical Chinese.