Meaning of 合作
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to cooperate; to collaborate; to work together
How to use 合作
合作 is used for people, companies, or countries working together, and it can act as a verb or a noun. It often appears with 和 or 跟 to show the partner. Example: 我们跟这家公司合作了三年。(Wǒmen gēn zhè jiā gōngsī hézuò le sān nián.) We have cooperated with this company for three years.
合 (hé) means to join or combine, and 作 (zuò) means to do or make, the same 作 you see in 工作 (gōngzuò). Put them together and you get people joining up to do something: to cooperate.
Common mistake: Learners often say 合作他 to mean "cooperate with him," but 合作 does not take a direct object. Say 跟他合作 (gēn tā hézuò) instead. Also keep the tones straight: hé is second tone and zuò is fourth.
合作 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
合 hé · to close · 6 strokes
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- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
作 zuò · to do · 7 strokes
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- 2
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- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 合作.
| 工作 | gōngzuò | to work; (of a machine) to operate |
| 动作 | dòngzuò | movement; motion; action; to act; to move |
| 合适 | héshì | suitable; fitting; appropriate |
| 作用 | zuòyòng | to act on; to affect; action; function; activity |
| 作家 | zuòjiā | author |
| 作业 | zuòyè | school assignment; homework |
| 叫作 | jiàozuò | to call; to be called |
| 作文 | zuòwén | to write an essay; composition (student essay) |
| 适合 | shìhé | to fit; to suit |
| 作品 | zuòpǐn | work (of art); opus |
| 制作 | zhìzuò | to make; to manufacture |
| 合法 | héfǎ | lawful; legitimate |
Questions about 合作
What does 合作 mean?
合作 (hézuò) means "to cooperate; to collaborate; to work together" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 合作?
合作 is made of 2 characters: 合 (6 strokes), 作 (7 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 合作 an HSK word?
Yes. 合作 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can 合作 be used as a noun?
Yes. It works like "cooperation" in English, as in 谢谢你的合作 (xièxie nǐ de hézuò), thank you for your cooperation. You also see it in phrases like 国际合作 (guójì hézuò), international cooperation.
What is the difference between 合作 and 一起工作?
一起工作 (yìqǐ gōngzuò) simply means people work in the same place or on the same task side by side. 合作 stresses partnership toward a shared goal, and it is common in business, school projects, and formal settings.