使者

shǐzhě
noun HSK 7 #6,263

Measure Word

Meanings

  1. 1 envoy
  2. 2 messenger
  3. 3 emissary

Characters

Literally 'one who is sent' — an envoy or messenger

Examples

Guówáng pài shǐzhě qù línguó tánpàn.
The king sent an envoy to the neighboring country to negotiate.
Tā bèi chēng wéi hépíng shǐzhě.
She is called a messenger of peace.
Gǔdài de shǐzhě qí mǎ chuándì xiāoxi.
In ancient times, messengers delivered messages on horseback.

Tips

usage
使者 has a formal or literary feel. In modern usage, it often appears in figurative expressions: 和平使者 (peace messenger), 友谊使者 (friendship envoy), 文化使者 (cultural ambassador).
memory
使 (send) + (person) = the person who is sent. The suffix works like English '-er': 读者 (reader), 作者 (author), 使者 (messenger).

Stroke Order

使 shǐ
zhě