用来

用來

yònglái

verb HSK 5 #3,593

Meanings

Use it to come to a purpose — 'to be used for.'

这把刀是用来切菜的。

Zhè bǎ dāo shì yònglái qiēcài de.

This knife is used for cutting vegetables.

这笔钱用来买房子。

Zhèbǐ qián yònglái mǎifáng zi.

This money is for buying a house.

他用来学习的时间越来越多。

Tāyòng lái xuéxí de shíjiān yuèláiyuè duō.

He spends more and more time studying.

这种材料可以用来做衣服。

Zhèzhǒng cáiliào kěyǐ yònglái zuò yīfu.

This kind of material can be used to make clothes.

grammar

用来 connects a tool/resource to its purpose: A + 用来 + verb. The 是...的 pattern is common: 这是用来...的 (this is used for...).

usage

用于 (yòngyú) is more formal/written, while 用来 is natural in spoken Chinese.

用 yòng

来 lái