让、令、使、叫! What's the difference?

[D.shiry]

There are so many words with a small difference.. what is the difference between 让 (ràng)，令 (lìng)，使 (shǐ) and 叫 (jiào). which of these words to use in formal and informal contexts?

[edelweis]

Have a look at these for a start:

http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/23280-difference-between-%E4%BD%BF%E4%BA%BA%E6%83%8A%E8%AE%B6-%EF%BC%8F-%E4%BB%A4%E4%BA%BA%E6%83%8A%E8%AE%B6-%EF%BC%8F-%E8%AE%A9%E4%BA%BA%E6%83%8A%E8%AE%B6/

http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/13885-%E8%AE%A9-and-%E4%BD%BF/

http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/7829-%E8%AE%93%E6%88%91%E7%9F%A5%E9%81%93-let-me-know/

[Semper]

generally speaking, 叫 is uaually used in oral chinese, 让，令，使 are mostly like each other, you can replace one by another in 95% sentences. By the way, how to say “在95%的情况中” in english.

for example:

你这样做让人感到不舒服。

你这样做令人感到不舒服。

你这样做使人感到不舒服。

你这样做叫人感到不舒服。

These sentences are all ok and used a lot in our daily life. But in writing chinese, we usually do not use 叫.

[roddy]

Can you give us some examples of the 5% where they aren't interchangeable?

[Glenn]

在95%的情况中 = "95% of the time" is the first thing that comes to mind.

[Semper]

Can you give us some examples of the 5% where they aren't interchangeable?

haha, this is a little difficult, though chinese is my native language, I can not give some examples in a few minutes, all I thought can be replaced by other characters. If I think out I will reply you in time.

[Chinadoog]

is there any difference between the words 让 and 被 when used in a sentence like this one?

大树让风吹倒了

i thought of an example where 使 and 叫 might be different.

我不能使她高超、我不能叫她高超？ can you use 叫 in this sentence?

[edelweis]

@chinadoog: AFAIK 让 and 被 are not interchangeable in this sentence... 大树让风吹倒了 looks wrong to me because I understand "the tree made the wind fall down".

Are you perhaps confusing 被 with 把?

I think the following sentences are correct but I could be wrong:

风让大树吹倒了

风把大树吹倒了

大树被风吹倒了

[skylee]

我不能使她高超、我不能叫她高超？ can you use 叫 in this sentence?

But what is 高超 supposed to mean here?

[Semper]

But what is 高超 supposed to mean here?

高潮，哈哈

[xiaocai]

I normally write as 教 instead of 叫.

[skylee]

I normally write as 教 instead of 叫.

Yes 教 looks better. And I like it better.

[Chinadoog]

sorry, should've been 高潮　（ｓｏ　ｉｓ　我不能叫她高潮　ａｌｓｏ　ｃｏｒｒｅｃｔ？）

edelweis, i'm pretty sure that 让 and 被 are interchangeable in that sentence. i took that example straight from nciku.com. my chinese gf tends to say 让 a lot instead of 被, and 使　ｉｎｓｔｅａｄ　ｏｆ　让．　ｌｏｌ

[jbradfor]

Ummm, I'm not sure I want to ask, but what are you trying to say with "我不能使她高潮"? The only meaning for that I know for 高潮 that makes sense here is "climax/orgasm". Somehow I don't think that's what you mean to say. Or, if it does, you'd be more impressive to rephrase the first verb in the positive, not negative ;).