Meaning of 当作
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to treat as
- to regard as
How to use 当作
当作 usually appears in the pattern 把 A 当作 B, meaning "to treat A as B." It often describes how someone views or uses a person or thing. Example: 他把我当作朋友。(Tā bǎ wǒ dàngzuò péngyou.) He treats me as a friend.
当 (dàng) here means "to count as," and 作 (zuò) means "to make or act." Together they mean to make something count as something else: you treat A as B.
Common mistake: Learners often read 当 here with the first tone, dāng, as in 当时 (dāngshí). In 当作 it is fourth tone, dàng. Also do not write 作 as 做. The standard form is 当作, though you may see 当做 in casual writing.
当作 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.
当 dāng · to be · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
作 zuò · to do · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 当作.
| 工作 | gōngzuò | to work; (of a machine) to operate |
| 动作 | dòngzuò | movement; motion; action; to act; to move |
| 当时 | dāngshí | then; at that time |
| 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) |
| 当然 | dāngrán | only natural; as it should be |
| 合作 | hézuò | to cooperate; to collaborate; to work together |
| 相当 | xiāngdāng | equivalent to; appropriate |
| 作品 | zuòpǐn | work (of art); opus |
Questions about 当作
What does 当作 mean?
当作 (dàngzuò) means "to treat as; to regard as" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 当作?
当作 is made of 2 characters: 当 (6 strokes), 作 (7 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 当作 an HSK word?
Yes. 当作 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 当作 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 当作 is written 當作.
What is the difference between 当作 and 看作?
Both can mean "to regard as." 看作 (kànzuò) is more about how you see or judge something in your mind. 当作 can also mean actually using or treating something in a certain way, as in 把箱子当作桌子 (use a box as a table).
Can 当作 be used without 把?
Yes. You can say 他被大家当作英雄 (He is regarded as a hero by everyone) with 被. A simple form like 我当作没听见 (I'll act as if I didn't hear it) is also common in speech.