佐 meaning and stroke order
To assist, to aid; subordinate, second
How to write 佐, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Meaning of 佐
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to assist
- assistant
- aide
- to accompany
How 佐 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Person.
亻 gives the meaning and 左 hints at the sound.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 佐
A person 亻 standing at your left 左 (zuǒ) side is your helper. The 左 part also gives the sound, so 佐 is read zuǒ just like 左.
佐 is mostly found in set words rather than on its own. You will see it in 辅佐 (fǔzuǒ), helping a leader, and in 佐料 (zuǒliào), seasoning that "assists" the main food. Example: 他辅佐皇帝多年。(Tā fǔzuǒ huángdì duō nián.) He assisted the emperor for many years.
Common mistake: Learners often write 左 (zuǒ, left) when they mean 佐, since the sound and tone are identical. Remember that the helping meaning needs the person radical 亻, as in 辅佐, not 辅左.
Common words with 佐
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 佐料 | zuǒliào | condiments; seasoning | HSK 7-9 |
| 辅佐 | fǔzuǒ | to assist (usually a ruler) |
佐 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 佐
How many strokes are in 佐?
佐 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 佐 mean?
佐 (zuǒ) means to assist, to aid; subordinate, second. A common word with it is 佐料 (zuǒliào), meaning "condiments; seasoning".
How do you pronounce 佐?
佐 is pronounced zuǒ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 佐?
The radical of 佐 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 佐 under this radical.
Is 佐 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 佐 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 佐料 the same as 作料?
Yes, both mean seasoning or condiments. 作料 is pronounced zuóliao in everyday speech, and 佐料 is a common written variant you will see on menus and packaging.
Why does 佐 appear in Japanese-looking names like 佐藤?
佐藤 (Zuǒténg in Mandarin) is the Chinese reading of the Japanese surname Satō. When Chinese media mention Japanese names written in kanji, they simply read the characters in Mandarin.