作 — how to write the kanji for “make”

作 means “make”, “production” and “prepare”; it is a JLPT N4 kanji, taught in second grade in Japan. In newspapers it is the 103rd most used kanji. KANJIDIC2 gives it 2 on readings and 3 kun readings, so the word decides how you say it. Its parts sit side by side: 亻 (“person”), strokes 1–2; 乍 (“though”), strokes 3–7, each finished before the next. On its own it is the word saku, “work; piece”. Read saku, it forms 作品 (“work”), 作家 (“author”) and 作戦 (“tactics”); the native reading tsuku-ru gives 作る (“to make”). Chinese reads it zuò, “to write”, at HSK 1.

Strokes

7

JLPT

N4

Radical

人 (“person”)

On

サク, サ

Kun

つく·り, -づく·り, つく·る