<p>叫 (call/ tell) also contains the meanings of &quot;order/ command/ make&quot;</p>
<p>&quot;吩咐吧，叫我马上到北极！&quot; can be translated as:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Give the <strong>order</strong>, <strong>command</strong> me to go to the North Pole immediately!</p>
<p>&quot;Give the <strong>orde</strong>r, <strong>make</strong> me go to the North Pole immediately!</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-12T15:47:40.803Z
Personally I prefer to use "make" as a native Chinese speaker, 'cause the flower pedal cannot give command to  the girl to go to the North Pole, while "make" is kind of like "let" or say that the pedal can achieve the goal, like "make it". However I might be wrong about the usage of "command". Any thoughts appreciated.
xbh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-12T15:26:25.020Z
2018-08-12T15:26:25.020Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<blockquote>
  <p><strong>叫</strong>我马上到北极!</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I think 叫 in this context means <strong>ask</strong>. So, <em>ask me to go to the North Pole right away!</em>. </p>

<p>This is a colloquial usage. The formal word is 让.</p>

<p>Another example: </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>他叫我去找他 // he asked me to go find him. </p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-12T23:47:35.427Z
2018-08-12T23:47:35.427Z
dan
<p>Many common characters can have a lot different meannings, for “叫”, according to 现代汉语规范词典，it could mean the following</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>v. shout</p>
</blockquote>

<p>like 叫喊</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>v. sound made by animal or device</p>
</blockquote>

<p>like 鸡不停地叫</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>v. call</p>
</blockquote>

<p>like 把下一个人叫进来</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>v. call people to deliver</p>
</blockquote>

<p>like 我们再叫几个菜吧</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>v. command or order</p>
</blockquote>

<p>like 我妈叫我少吃点肉 or <strong>叫我马上到北极</strong></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>v. allow or let</p>
</blockquote>

<p>like 我不叫你走</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>prep. by</p>
</blockquote>

<p>like 别叫人笑话你</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>v. known as</p>
</blockquote>

<p>like 这东西叫做什么？</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>adj. oral. male livestock (whose sound could be big)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>like 叫驴</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-12T15:28:29.030Z
2018-08-12T15:28:29.030Z
zyy
<p>In the children's book 七色花, the girl 珍妮 (Jenny) instructs the magic flower as follows:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>吩咐吧，叫我马上到北极！<br>
  <sup>Fēnfù ba, jiào wǒ mǎshàng dào běijí!</sup><br>
  Command it, call me to the North Pole right away! [<a href="https://translate.google.cn/#zh-CN/en/%E5%90%A9%E5%92%90%E5%90%A7%EF%BC%8C%E5%8F%AB%E6%88%91%E9%A9%AC%E4%B8%8A%E5%88%B0%E5%8C%97%E6%9E%81%EF%BC%81" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Google Translate</a>]<br>
  <sub>(See <a href="https://www.douban.com/note/87180864/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">DouBan</a> for text.)</sub></p>
</blockquote>

<p>From context, the girl is asking the magic flower to teleport her to the North Pole.  However, I'm perplexed as to why <a href="http://youdao.com/w/%E5%8F%AB" rel="nofollow noreferrer">叫</a> (jiào; "call", "cry") is used here.  Google Translate also seems perplexed.  I have never seen it used in this way before.</p>

<p><strong>Question</strong>: Why is 叫 ("call") in 叫我马上到北极?</p>

<p>Searching for <a href="http://youdao.com/example/blng/eng/%E5%8F%AB_%E5%88%B0" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><code>叫 到</code></a> at YouDao gives sentences like</p>

<ol>
<li>你最好<strong>叫</strong>他们<strong>到</strong>这儿来 ("you'd better ask them round here"), and</li>
<li>他把我<strong>叫到</strong>他的办公室 ("he called me into his room")</li>
</ol>

<p>so it looks like 叫 has a meaning I'm not aware of, something between "instruct" and "invite", comparable to "called for dinner".  But it seems strange for the girl to "call" herself to the North Pole.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-12T09:45:44.083Z
叫 can have same meaning as 让，also used for passive, compare use of 被、让、叫 http://dictionary.pinpinchinese.com/questions/irvkeoHv/%E8%A2%AB-b%C3%A8i-vs-%E5%8F%AB-ji%C3%A0o-vs-%E8%AE%A9-r%C3%A0ng-regional-difference-formality-difference
user6065
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-12T10:28:51.677Z
search web using e.g. 叫和让的用法 get many hits,
user6065
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-12T11:24:29.483Z
You could translate your sentence to "command it, *make* me to the north pole right now", or you could use *let*.
xbh
<meaning-in-context><word>
Why is 叫 ("call") in 叫我马上到北极?
# Why is 叫 ("call") in 叫我马上到北极?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-08-12)

In the children's book 七色花, the girl 珍妮 (Jenny) instructs the magic flower as follows:

> 吩咐吧，叫我马上到北极！  
> Fēnfù ba, jiào wǒ mǎshàng dào běijí!  
> Command it, call me to the North Pole right away! [[Google Translate](https://translate.google.cn/#zh-CN/en/%E5%90%A9%E5%92%90%E5%90%A7%EF%BC%8C%E5%8F%AB%E6%88%91%E9%A9%AC%E4%B8%8A%E5%88%B0%E5%8C%97%E6%9E%81%EF%BC%81)]  
> (See [DouBan](https://www.douban.com/note/87180864/) for text.)

From context, the girl is asking the magic flower to teleport her to the North Pole. However, I'm perplexed as to why [叫](http://youdao.com/w/%E5%8F%AB) (jiào; "call", "cry") is used here. Google Translate also seems perplexed. I have never seen it used in this way before.

**Question**: Why is 叫 ("call") in 叫我马上到北极?

Searching for [`叫 到`](http://youdao.com/example/blng/eng/%E5%8F%AB_%E5%88%B0) at YouDao gives sentences like

1. 你最好**叫**他们**到**这儿来 ("you'd better ask them round here"), and
2. 他把我**叫到**他的办公室 ("he called me into his room")

so it looks like 叫 has a meaning I'm not aware of, something between "instruct" and "invite", comparable to "called for dinner". But it seems strange for the girl to "call" herself to the North Pole.

**Tags:** meaning-in-context, word

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 叫 can have same meaning as 让，also used for passive, compare use of 被、让、叫 http://dictionary.pinpinchinese.com/questions/irvkeoHv/%E8%A2%AB-b%C3%A8i-vs-%E5%8F%AB-ji%C3%A0o-vs-%E8%AE%A9-r%C3%A0ng-regional-difference-formality-difference  
> **username_1**: search web using e.g. 叫和让的用法 get many hits,  
> **username_2**: You could translate your sentence to "command it, *make* me to the north pole right now", or you could use *let*.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-08-12. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

叫 (call/ tell) also contains the meanings of "order/ command/ make"

"吩咐吧，叫我马上到北极！" can be translated as:

> "Give the **order**, **command** me to go to the North Pole immediately!
>
> "Give the **orde**r, **make** me go to the North Pole immediately!

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Personally I prefer to use "make" as a native Chinese speaker, 'cause the flower pedal cannot give command to  the girl to go to the North Pole, while "make" is kind of like "let" or say that the pedal can achieve the goal, like "make it". However I might be wrong about the usage of "command". Any thoughts appreciated.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2018-08-12. Score: 1

> **叫**我马上到北极!

I think 叫 in this context means **ask**. So, *ask me to go to the North Pole right away!*.

This is a colloquial usage. The formal word is 让.

Another example:

> 他叫我去找他 // he asked me to go find him.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2018-08-12. Score: 0

Many common characters can have a lot different meannings, for “叫”, according to 现代汉语规范词典，it could mean the following

> v. shout

like 叫喊

> v. sound made by animal or device

like 鸡不停地叫

> v. call

like 把下一个人叫进来

> v. call people to deliver

like 我们再叫几个菜吧

> v. command or order

like 我妈叫我少吃点肉 or **叫我马上到北极**

> v. allow or let

like 我不叫你走

> prep. by

like 别叫人笑话你

> v. known as

like 这东西叫做什么？

> adj. oral. male livestock (whose sound could be big)

like 叫驴


---

