以 · 用……来……
use … to …; with, by (以); take A as B (以 A 为 B)
Structure
用 + 方法 + 来 + 动词 · 以 A 为 B
What it means
用……来…… means “use … to …”. 以 is the formal word for “with, by”, met most in 以 A 为 B, “take A as B”.
How it is built
用 + method + (来) + verb: 我们用手机来叫车 (we use our phones to call a car). 以 A 为 B: 以大量的数据为基础 (taking lots of data as the basis); also 以……为中心, 以……为目标.
When to use it
来 can be left out, but it makes the purpose clear. 以 belongs to written, formal Chinese. In 以 A 为 B, 为 is read wéi (“act as”), not wèi (“for”).
Watch out
Put the method first, unlike English: ✗ 我叫车用手机。 ✓ 我用手机叫车。
Examples
我们用手机来叫车，非常方便。
We use our phones to call a car: very handy.
很多人想用电来代替汽油。
Many people want to use electricity instead of petrol.
他们以大量的数据为基础，不断改进系统。
Taking large amounts of data as their basis, they keep improving the system.
这家公司以顾客为中心。
This company puts its customers at the centre of everything.
Learn this in HSK 4 · Lesson 21: 智能生活 (Smart cities)
A dialogue, a reading, word cards with audio and a drill that uses it, in Learn Chinese with Bao. The first lessons of every level are free.
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