作

作

🔊 zuō = zu + o1

worker / workshop / (slang) troublesome / high-maintenance (person)

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作

🔊 zuò = zu + o4

to do; to engage in / to write; to compose / to pretend; to feign / to regard as; to consider to be / to be; to act the part of / to feel (itchy, nauseous etc) / writings; works

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How to pronounce 作

MandarinBanana teaches pronunciation with the Marilyn Method: every Pinyin syllable is one initial plus one final, the initial becomes a person, an animal or a deity, and the final becomes a place in your memory palace — with the tone deciding which part of that place the scene happens in. Remember the little story below for each half and the whole syllable comes back with them.

zuō

= zu initial

Zu is for Zapatista Zebra.

By Matthias • updated 4 months ago

☆

+ o1 final

In front of the observatory.

By Matthias • updated 4 months ago

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zuò

= zu initial

Zu is for Zapatista Zebra.

By Matthias • updated 4 months ago

☆

+ o4 final

In the observatory’s bathroom.

By Matthias • updated 4 months ago

☆

作 character breakdown

Chinese characters are built out of smaller characters. Each component carries a mnemonic symbol - one concrete object that stands in for it - and a mnemonic story hands those objects to the person and the place that stand for the pronunciation. Learn a component once and every character that reuses it gets easier.

• 作
  • 亻
    • 丿
    • 丨
  • 乍

Component Translations

亻

🔊 rén = r + (e)n2

"person" radical in Chinese characters (Kangxi radical 9)

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乍

🔊 zhà = zh + a4

at first / suddenly / abruptly / to spread / (of hair) to stand on end / bristling

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Characters with 作 as component

筰

筰

🔊 zuó = zu + o2

cable

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