How to Write 佣 (yōng/yòng) — Meaning “Commission / Servant”

Picture a person (亻) who is constantly being 'used' (用) by their boss — they are a servant or employee. Just think: 'A person who is used' and remember the pinyin 'yōng' sounds like 'young' but means a worker, not a child.

Write the left radical 亻 first with two strokes (slant and vertical), then the right part 用 with five strokes. Keep the left side narrow and the right side balanced; a common mistake is making the right part too wide or misplacing the vertical strokes inside 用.

All share the person radical 亻, but 佣 uses 用 inside to mean 'use' (servant/hire), while 仔 (zǐ) uses 子 for 'child' and means young or careful, and 仕 (shì) uses 士 for 'scholar' and means official. Visually, the bottom part differs: 用 vs 子 vs 士.

You will see 佣 in words like 雇佣 (gùyōng, to employ), 女佣 (nǚyōng, female servant), and 佣金 (yòngjīn, commission). Note that 佣金 changes the tone to yòng (fourth tone). It is used in business and domestic service contexts, not in daily casual conversation.

Common words containing 佣 include: 雇佣 (gù yōng) — to hire; to employ; 女佣 (nǚ yōng) — Maid; female servant.; 佣金 (yòng jīn) — Commission.