作 meaning and stroke order
To do; to engage in; to write; to compose; to pretend; to feign
How to write 作, 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 作
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to do; to engage in
- to write; to compose
- to pretend; to feign
- to regard as; to consider to be
- to be; to act the part of
- to feel (itchy, nauseous etc)
- (bound form) worker
- (bound form) workshop
- (slang) troublesome; high-maintenance (person)
How 作 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A person 亻 making something for the first time 乍; 乍 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 作
A person 亻 stands next to 乍 (zhà, suddenly or for the first time), making something brand new. Picture someone who suddenly starts to make or write something, and 乍 also hints at the sound zuò.
作 (zuò) rarely stands alone in everyday speech. It appears mostly in words like 工作 (gōngzuò, work), 作业 (zuòyè, homework), and 作家 (zuòjiā, author). Example: 我今天有很多作业。(Wǒ jīntiān yǒu hěn duō zuòyè.) I have a lot of homework today.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 作 and 做, which are both pronounced zuò. In general, 做 is used for concrete everyday doing, as in 做饭 (zuò fàn, to cook), while 作 appears in fixed and more formal words like 工作 and 作用. Also, do not confuse 作 with 昨 (zuó, as in 昨天), which has 日 on the left instead of 亻.
Common words with 作
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 工作 | gōngzuò | to work; (of a machine) to operate | HSK 1 |
| 动作 | dòngzuò | movement; motion; action; to act; to move | HSK 1 |
| 作用 | zuòyòng | to act on; to affect; action; function; activity | HSK 2 |
| 作家 | zuòjiā | author | HSK 2 |
| 作业 | zuòyè | school assignment; homework | HSK 2 |
| 叫作 | jiàozuò | to call; to be called | HSK 2 |
| 作文 | zuòwén | to write an essay; composition (student essay) | HSK 2 |
| 合作 | hézuò | to cooperate; to collaborate; to work together | HSK 3 |
| 作品 | zuòpǐn | work (of art); opus | HSK 3 |
| 制作 | zhìzuò | to make; to manufacture | HSK 3 |
| 作者 | zuòzhě | author; writer | HSK 3 |
| 创作 | chuàngzuò | to create; to produce; to write; a creative work; a creation | HSK 3 |
| 写作 | xiězuò | to write; to compose | HSK 3 |
| 作为 | zuòwéi | one's conduct; deed | HSK 4 |
作 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 作
How many strokes are in 作?
作 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 作 mean?
作 (zuò) means to do; to engage in; to write; to compose; to pretend; to feign. A common word with it is 工作 (gōngzuò), meaning "to work; (of a machine) to operate".
How do you pronounce 作?
作 is pronounced zuò, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 作?
The radical of 作 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 作 under this radical.
Is 作 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 作 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
When is 作 pronounced zuō instead of zuò?
The zuō reading appears in a few bound forms, such as 作坊 (zuōfang, workshop). In slang, 作 (zuō) can describe a troublesome or high-maintenance person. Most of the time, though, the reading is zuò.
What does 叫作 mean and how is it used?
叫作 (jiàozuò) means to be called or to be known as. For example, 这种花叫作玫瑰。(Zhè zhǒng huā jiàozuò méigui.) means This kind of flower is called a rose.