How to write 作 (zuò, “to write”)
作, an HSK 1 character, is read zuò for “to write” and “to do”, and also zuō (“worker”). As a left-right character it splits into 亻 (“person”, the radical), strokes 1–2; 乍 (“at first”), strokes 3–7, written the left part first. Among the HSK words it appears in 工作 (“to work”), 工作日 (“workday”) and 作业 (“school assignment”). Japanese reads it saku, “make”, as a JLPT N4 kanji.
- Pinyin
- zuò, zuō
- Strokes
- 7
- HSK
- 1
- Radical
- 亻 (“person”)
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- Left-falling stroke ㇒top leftdown and left
- Vertical ㇑top leftdownwards
- Left-falling stroke ㇒topdown and left
- Horizontal ㇐toprightwards
- Vertical ㇑topdownwards
- Horizontal ㇐rightrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐bottom rightrightwards
Japanese and Chinese
Japanese and Chinese draw all 7 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Pinyin and meaning
| Pinyin | Meanings | Traditional | In words |
|---|---|---|---|
| zuò fourth tone | to write; to compose; to do; to engage in; to pretend; to feign; to regard as; to consider to be; to be; to act the part of | — | 工作 工作日 作业 作家 |
| zuō first tone | (bound form) worker; (bound form) workshop | — | — |
- HSK 2025 syllabus
- level 1
- 2021 standard
- level 1
- HSK 2.0
- in a level 1 word
- Words with it
- 332 in CC-CEDICT
Words with 作
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 工作 | gōngzuò | to work; to operate HSK 1 |
| 工作日 | gōngzuòrì | workday; working day HSK 3 |
| 作业 作業 | zuòyè | school assignment; homework HSK 3 |
| 作家 | zuòjiā | author HSK 4 |
| 作文 | zuòwén | to write an essay; composition (student essay) HSK 4 |
| 叫作 | jiàozuò | to call; to be called HSK 4 |
| 作为 作為 | zuòwéi | one's conduct; deed HSK 4 |
| 动作 動作 | dòngzuò | movement; motion HSK 4 |
| 作用 | zuòyòng | to act on; to affect HSK 4 |
| 作者 | zuòzhě | author; writer HSK 4 |
HSK words first (CC-CEDICT).
Practice sheet
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Keep going
HSK 1, in list order: