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作 — worker; workshop; troublesome

worker; workshop; troublesome; high-maintenance

Pinyin
zuō · zuò
Strokes
7
HSK level
HSK 1
Handwriting
required

This character has more than one reading — zuō, zuò — and the pronunciation depends on the word it appears in. The list below gives the syllabus reading for each word.

How to write 作: 7 strokes

Each cell adds one stroke to the previous ones, with the new stroke in red. Stroke order is not decoration: it sets the proportions of the character and makes handwriting legible to a reader. This character is on the HSK handwriting list, so the exam expects you to write it, not only recognise it.

作 — 7 strokes, in writing order from left to right.

Build a printable practice sheet with 作

Words with 作 in the HSK syllabus: 42

Every word in the official 2026 syllabus that contains this character, with the level it is introduced at. Learning a character pays off through these: each one combines with the characters you already know.

  1. 工作gōngzuòto work; to operate; job; work; taskHSK 1
  2. 工作日gōngzuòrìworkday; working day; weekdayHSK 3
  3. 作业zuòyèschool assignment; homework; work; task; operationHSK 3
  4. 动作dòngzuòmovement; motion; action; to act; to moveHSK 4
  5. 叫作jiàozuòto call; to be calledHSK 4
  6. 作家zuòjiāauthorHSK 4
  7. 作品zuòpǐnwork; opusHSK 4
  8. 作为zuòwéione's conduct; deed; activity; accomplishmentHSK 4
  9. 作文zuòwénto write an essay; compositionHSK 4
  10. 作用zuòyòngto act on; to affect; action; function; activityHSK 4
  11. 作者zuòzhěauthor; writerHSK 4
  12. 操作cāozuòto work; to operate; to manipulateHSK 5
  13. 创作chuàngzuòto create; to produce; to writeHSK 5
  14. 当作dàngzuòto treat as; to regard asHSK 5
  15. 合作hézuòto cooperate; to collaborate; to work togetherHSK 5
  16. 看作kànzuòto look upon as; to regard asHSK 5
  17. 写作xiězuòto write; to compose; writing; written worksHSK 5
  18. 制作zhìzuòto make; to manufactureHSK 5
  19. 作出zuòchūto put out; to come up with; to make; to issueHSK 5
  20. 称作chēngzuòto be called; to be known asHSK 6
  21. 著作zhùzuòto write; literary work; book; article; writingsHSK 6
  22. 炒作chǎozuòto hype; to promoteHSK 7–9
  23. 恶作剧èzuòjùpractical joke; prank; to play a practical jokeHSK 7–9
  24. 发作fāzuòto flare up; to break outHSK 7–9
  25. 副作用fùzuòyòngside effectHSK 7–9
  26. 弄虚作假nòngxū-zuòjiǎto practice fraud; by trickeryHSK 7–9
  27. 所作所为suǒzuò-suǒwéione's conduct and deedsHSK 7–9
  28. 无所作为wúsuǒzuòwéiattempting nothing and accomplishing nothing; without any initiative or driveHSK 7–9
  29. 协作xiézuòcooperation; coordinationHSK 7–9
  30. 以身作则yǐshēn-zuòzéto set an example; to serve as a modelHSK 7–9
  31. 一鼓作气yìgǔ-zuòqìin a spurt of energyHSK 7–9
  32. 运作yùnzuòto operate; operations; workings; activities; threadHSK 7–9
  33. 振作zhènzuòto bestir oneself; to pull oneself togetherHSK 7–9
  34. 作弊zuòbìto practice fraud; to cheatHSK 7–9
  35. 作对zuòduìto set oneself against; to oppose; to make a pairHSK 7–9
  36. 作废zuòfèito become invalid; to cancel; to delete; to nullifyHSK 7–9
  37. 作风zuòfēngstyle; style of work; wayHSK 7–9
  38. 作客zuòkèto live somewhere as a visitor; to stay with sb as a guest; to sojournHSK 7–9
  39. 作料zuòliaocondiments; seasoning; coll. pr. [zuo2 liao5]HSK 7–9
  40. 作物zuòwùcropHSK 7–9

And 2 more across the higher levels — the full lists are on the level pages.

Glosses come from CC-CEDICT, used under CC BY-SA 4.0, and are the dictionary’s first sense rather than a translation chosen for context.