Meaning
to regard as; to take (somebody) for; to do; to make
Chinese: 做、创作或充当。
Hear the Four Tones
The same syllable “zuo” becomes a different word in each tone. 作 is the 4th tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.
Stroke Order
Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.
Common Words
- 工作gōng zuòto work; (of a machine) to operate; job; work
- 动作dòng zuòmovement; motion; action; to act
- 作用zuò yòngto act on; to affect; action; function
- 作业zuò yèschool assignment; homework; work; task
- 作家zuò jiāauthor
Example Sentence
这幅画是他的作品。Zhè fú huà shì tā de zuò pǐn.This painting is his work.
这Zhèthis幅fúwidth画huàto draw是shìis他tāhe的deof作品zuò pǐnwork (of art)。
Go deeper
Where this character comes from
The person radical 亻 plus 乍 (sound): a person setting to work — ‘to do, make, write, act’; ‘a work, a piece’.
A way to remember it
A person (亻) getting to work — to do, to make.
Easy to confuse with
- 昨‘Yesterday’: the same 乍, but with the sun radical 日.