做 meaning and stroke order
To make; to produce; to write; to compose; to do; to engage in; to hold (a party etc)
How to write 做, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 做
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to make; to produce
- to write; to compose
- to do; to engage in; to hold (a party etc)
- (of a person) to be (an intermediary, a good student etc); to become (husband and wife, friends etc)
- (of a thing) to serve as; to be used for
- to assume (an air or manner)
How 做 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Someone 亻 who causes things to happen 故; 故 also provides the pronuncation.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 做
A person 亻 stands next to 故 (gù), the part that causes things to happen. Someone who makes things happen is someone who does or makes something, 做 (zuò).
做 is the everyday verb for doing or making concrete things, like 做饭 (zuòfàn, to cook), 做生意 (zuò shēngyi, to do business), and 做梦 (zuòmèng, to dream). It can also mean to act as or become, as in 做朋友 (zuò péngyou, to be friends). Example: 你在做什么？(Nǐ zài zuò shénme?) What are you doing?
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 做 with 作 (zuò), which sounds the same. 作 tends to appear in more formal or abstract words like 工作 (gōngzuò, work) and 作业 (zuòyè, homework), while 做 is used for hands-on doing and making. Another trap is writing 坐 (zuò, to sit) by mistake, since all three share the same sound and tone.
Common words with 做
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 做到 | zuòdào | to accomplish; to achieve | HSK 2 |
| 做法 | zuòfǎ | way of handling sth; method for making | HSK 2 |
| 做饭 | zuòfàn | to prepare a meal; to cook | HSK 2 |
| 做客 | zuòkè | to be a guest or visitor | HSK 3 |
| 做梦 | zuòmèng | to dream; to have a dream; (fig.) to indulge in wishful thinking | HSK 4 |
| 做生意 | zuò shēngyi | to do business | HSK 7-9 |
| 做证 | zuòzhèng | variant of 作證|作证[zuo4 zheng4] | HSK 7-9 |
| 定做 | dìngzuò | to have something made to order | HSK 7-9 |
| 做出 | zuòchū | to put out; to issue | |
| 叫做 | jiàozuò | to be called; to be known as | |
| 做爱 | zuò'ài | to make love | |
| 做事 | zuòshì | to work; to handle matters | |
| 当做 | dàngzuò | to treat as; to regard as | |
| 做人 | zuòrén | to conduct oneself; to behave with integrity |
做 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 做
How many strokes are in 做?
做 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 做 mean?
做 (zuò) means to make; to produce; to write; to compose; to do; to engage in; to hold (a party etc). A common word with it is 做到 (zuòdào), meaning "to accomplish; to achieve".
How do you pronounce 做?
做 is pronounced zuò, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 做?
The radical of 做 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 做 under this radical.
Is 做 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 做 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.
What is the difference between 做 and 干 (gàn)?
Both can mean to do. 干 is more casual and colloquial, as in 你干什么？(Nǐ gàn shénme?), while 做 is neutral and works in any setting.
Can 做 mean 'to be' a certain role?
Yes. 做 can describe taking on a role, as in 做老师 (zuò lǎoshī, to be a teacher) or 做个好学生 (zuò gè hǎo xuésheng, to be a good student). In this sense it often suggests acting in or becoming that role, not just stating identity like 是 (shì).