<blockquote>
<p>Why is 来 used?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It's a style thing (and an indication of an older language, I think).</p>
<p>You may choose not to use it:</p>
<p>因为‘东西’一般不能用表示人。</p>
<p>Also, you may write:</p>
<p>因为你一般不能用“东西”来表示人。</p>
<p>来 and 去 are both used in this way as directional indicators, just like in German. (English has largely given up this practice.)</p>
<p>Language makes a lot of shortcuts: if you use something, you must have got it <strong>from</strong> somewhere.</p>
<p>In this case：</p>
<p>&quot;You cannot take the word 'thing' （东西） from（来） your vocabulary and use （用） it to indicate （表示） a person （人）&quot;</p>
<p>那个东西！</p>
<p>I just read about an African laughing tree when I saw this post.</p>
<p>来回： v. [来来去去] move back and forth</p>
<p>来回：literally: from (and) return</p>
<p>当风吹<strong>来</strong>时，<br />
When the wind blows <strong>from</strong>,</p>
<p>皮蕊在里面<strong>来回</strong>滚动，<br />
the pistils inside roll <strong>from</strong> and <strong>back</strong>,</p>
<p>当风吹来时，果实随风摇动，皮蕊在里面来回滚动，不断撞击薄脆的外壳，发出类似人类“哈哈”的笑声，因此，当地人称它为“笑树”。</p>
<p>哈哈！</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-16T01:26:06.250Z
2021-02-16T01:26:06.250Z
Pedroski
<p>The answer to the <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/37250/what-does-%E6%9D%A5-mean-in-%E4%BB%96%E6%83%B3%E4%B8%80%E5%88%87%E5%8A%9E%E6%B3%95%E6%9D%A5%E9%AA%8C%E8%AF%81%E8%BF%99%E4%B8%AA%E7%90%86%E8%AE%BA-and-%E6%88%91%E4%BB%AC%E8%AE%BE%E4%BA%86%E4%B8%AA%E9%99%B7%E9%98%B1%E6%9D%A5%E6%8A%93%E7%8B%90%E7%8B%B8">question</a>  explained the function of 来 as a preposition (in order to; so that) that connect two related verb phrases, but here '<strong>用</strong> ~ <strong>来</strong>' can be simply explained as '<strong>use</strong> ~ <strong>to</strong>'; (被)<strong>用来</strong> as (be)<strong>used to</strong></p>
<ol>
<li><p>&quot;(把)'东西'<strong>用来</strong> 表示人&quot; = &quot;(take) 'things' <strong>to be used to</strong> indicate human&quot;</p>
</li>
<li><p>&quot;<strong>用</strong>('东西')<strong>来</strong> 表示人&quot; = &quot;<strong>us</strong>e ('things') <strong>to</strong> indicate human'&quot;</p>
</li>
</ol>
<blockquote>
<p>“因为‘东西’一般不能<strong>用来</strong>表示人” = &quot;because 'things' usually cannot <strong>be used to</strong> indicate human&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In the text you posted. 东西 (things) is the topic and 不能(被)用来表示人 (cannot be used to indicate human) is the comment</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-15T18:39:04.663Z
2021-02-15T22:40:06.280Z
2021-02-15T22:40:06.280Z
Tang Ho
<p>Why is 来 used in the following sentence? For some context, this is a line from a text used in the second workbook of the New Practical Chinese Reader series (pg. 93). In the text a teacher is explaining to his students how to use the word '东西'. The student uses it incorrectly, and the teacher says the following:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>‘这个句子也不对。因为‘东西’一般不能用来表示人。同学们，要记住，说别人，‘不是东西’ 是骂人的话，不能随便更用’</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Why is 来 used?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-15T11:57:37.510Z
See here: https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/37250/what-does-来-mean-in-他想一切办法来验证这个理论-and-我们设了个陷阱来抓狐狸.
L Parker
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-15T18:57:59.210Z
The two questions seem similar, but they are actually talking about two different functions of 来, so it is not quite a duplicated question. "设了个陷阱 [来] 抓狐狸" is not the same as [用] (陷阱) [来] 抓狸
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-16T01:59:24.207Z
「東西」一般不能用來表示人 is an inversion of 一般不能用「東西」來表示人 to emphasise 「東西」 (as evidenced by the quotation marks). Also, the morpheme 來 meaning 'in order to' has not changed its meaning in 用～來. That is to say, any difference in meaning between 用～來 and the stand-alone 來 is due not to 來 but 用.
L Parker
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-16T02:49:01.617Z
IMHO, (把)'东西 用来 表示人 paraphrased as -- "using non-conscious inanimate objects to represent humans" -- (like a wood carving of a human);  用('东西') 来 表示人 paraphrased as -- "equating non-conscious inanimate objects as sentient humans" -- (like worshiping an idol of a human)
Wayne Cheah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-02-16T03:00:08.333Z
I would kindly argue any pragmatic difference arising thereof would be due to the verb 表示.
L Parker
<grammar><word-choice><usage><word>
Why is 来 used in "因为‘东西’一般不能用来表示人"?
# Why is 来 used in "因为‘东西’一般不能用来表示人"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-02-15)

Why is 来 used in the following sentence? For some context, this is a line from a text used in the second workbook of the New Practical Chinese Reader series (pg. 93). In the text a teacher is explaining to his students how to use the word '东西'. The student uses it incorrectly, and the teacher says the following:

> ‘这个句子也不对。因为‘东西’一般不能用来表示人。同学们，要记住，说别人，‘不是东西’ 是骂人的话，不能随便更用’

Why is 来 used?

**Tags:** grammar, word-choice, usage, word

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: See here: https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/37250/what-does-来-mean-in-他想一切办法来验证这个理论-and-我们设了个陷阱来抓狐狸.  
> **username_2**: The two questions seem similar, but they are actually talking about two different functions of 来, so it is not quite a duplicated question. "设了个陷阱 [来] 抓狐狸" is not the same as [用] (陷阱) [来] 抓狸  
> **username_1**: 「東西」一般不能用來表示人 is an inversion of 一般不能用「東西」來表示人 to emphasise 「東西」 (as evidenced by the quotation marks). Also, the morpheme 來 meaning 'in order to' has not changed its meaning in 用～來. That is to say, any difference in meaning between 用～來 and the stand-alone 來 is due not to 來 but 用.  
> **username_3**: IMHO, (把)'东西 用来 表示人 paraphrased as -- "using non-conscious inanimate objects to represent humans" -- (like a wood carving of a human);  用('东西') 来 表示人 paraphrased as -- "equating non-conscious inanimate objects as sentient humans" -- (like worshiping an idol of a human)  
> **username_1**: I would kindly argue any pragmatic difference arising thereof would be due to the verb 表示.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2021-02-16. Score: 1

> Why is 来 used?

It's a style thing (and an indication of an older language, I think).

You may choose not to use it:

因为‘东西’一般不能用表示人。

Also, you may write:

因为你一般不能用“东西”来表示人。

来 and 去 are both used in this way as directional indicators, just like in German. (English has largely given up this practice.)

Language makes a lot of shortcuts: if you use something, you must have got it **from** somewhere.

In this case：

"You cannot take the word 'thing' （东西） from（来） your vocabulary and use （用） it to indicate （表示） a person （人）"

那个东西！

I just read about an African laughing tree when I saw this post.

来回： v. [来来去去] move back and forth

来回：literally: from (and) return

当风吹**来**时，  
When the wind blows **from**,

皮蕊在里面**来回**滚动，  
the pistils inside roll **from** and **back**,

当风吹来时，果实随风摇动，皮蕊在里面来回滚动，不断撞击薄脆的外壳，发出类似人类“哈哈”的笑声，因此，当地人称它为“笑树”。

哈哈！


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### Answer by username_2 on 2021-02-15. Score: 1

The answer to the [question](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/37250/what-does-%E6%9D%A5-mean-in-%E4%BB%96%E6%83%B3%E4%B8%80%E5%88%87%E5%8A%9E%E6%B3%95%E6%9D%A5%E9%AA%8C%E8%AF%81%E8%BF%99%E4%B8%AA%E7%90%86%E8%AE%BA-and-%E6%88%91%E4%BB%AC%E8%AE%BE%E4%BA%86%E4%B8%AA%E9%99%B7%E9%98%B1%E6%9D%A5%E6%8A%93%E7%8B%90%E7%8B%B8) explained the function of 来 as a preposition (in order to; so that) that connect two related verb phrases, but here '**用** ~ **来**' can be simply explained as '**use** ~ **to**'; (被)**用来** as (be)**used to**

1. "(把)'东西'**用来** 表示人" = "(take) 'things' **to be used to** indicate human"
2. "**用**('东西')**来** 表示人" = "**us**e ('things') **to** indicate human'"

> “因为‘东西’一般不能**用来**表示人” = "because 'things' usually cannot **be used to** indicate human"

In the text you posted. 东西 (things) is the topic and 不能(被)用来表示人 (cannot be used to indicate human) is the comment


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