坐 meaning and stroke order
To sit; to take a seat; to take (a bus, airplane etc)
How to write 坐, 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 坐
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to sit
- to take a seat
- to take (a bus, airplane etc)
- to bear fruit
- variant of 座[zuo4]
How 坐 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Two people 从 sitting on the ground 土.
Radical: 土 (soil), shared by 183 characters on this site.
How to remember 坐
Look at 坐 (zuò) as two little people, the two 人 shapes of 从, sitting on the ground 土. Two people resting on the earth means to sit.
坐 is the everyday verb for sitting, and it is also how you say you take a vehicle, like 坐车 (zuòchē) or 坐飞机 (zuò fēijī). A host will often say 请坐 (qǐng zuò) to invite you to sit. Example: 我每天坐地铁上班。(Wǒ měitiān zuò dìtiě shàngbān.) I take the subway to work every day.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 坐 (zuò, to sit) with 座 (zuò, seat), which adds 广 on top. In modern usage, write 坐 for the action and 座 for the noun, as in 座位 (zuòwèi, seat). Also do not confuse it with 做 (zuò, to do), which has the same sound.
Common words with 坐
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 坐下 | zuò xia | to sit down | HSK 1 |
| 请坐 | qǐng zuò | please, have a seat | HSK 1 |
| 乘坐 | chéngzuò | to take (a ship, plane etc); to ride (in a train or other vehicle) | HSK 5 |
| 坐落 | zuòluò | to be situated; to be located (of a building) | HSK 7-9 |
| 坐牢 | zuòláo | to be imprisoned | |
| 坐标 | zuòbiāo | (geometry) coordinate; (fig.) point of reference; frame of reference; guidepost | |
| 坐车 | zuòchē | to take the car, bus, train etc | |
| 坐好 | zuòhǎo | to sit properly; to sit up straight | |
| 坐以待毙 | zuòyǐdàibì | to sit and wait for death (idiom); resigned to one's fate | |
| 坐立不安 | zuòlìbù'ān | lit. agitated sitting or standing (idiom); restless | |
| 坐等 | zuòděng | to sit and wait; (fig.) to be passive; to sit back and wait for (success, an opportunity e | |
| 坐垫 | zuòdiàn | cushion; (motorbike) seat | |
| 坐骑 | zuòqí | saddle horse; mount | |
| 静坐 | jìngzuò | to sit quietly; to meditate |
坐 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 坐
Learning 坐 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 坐
How many strokes are in 坐?
坐 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 坐 mean?
坐 (zuò) means to sit; to take a seat; to take (a bus, airplane etc). A common word with it is 坐下 (zuò xia), meaning "to sit down".
How do you pronounce 坐?
坐 is pronounced zuò, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 坐?
The radical of 坐 is 土, which carries the idea of "soil". Dictionaries list 坐 under this radical.
Is 坐 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 坐 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.
Do I use 坐 or 骑 to say I ride something?
Use 坐 when you sit inside or on something as a passenger, like a bus, train, plane or taxi. Use 骑 (qí) when you straddle and control it, like a bike, motorcycle or horse. So it is 坐公交车 but 骑自行车.
What does 坐 mean in 坐落 and 坐牢?
In 坐落 (zuòluò) it describes where a building sits or is located, as in 学校坐落在山下 (the school is located at the foot of the hill). In 坐牢 (zuòláo) it means to serve time in prison, literally to sit in jail.