zuò HSK 1

English Meaning

📚 Example Sentences

我做。
Wǒ zuò.
I do.
他做饭。
Tā zuò fàn.
He cooks.
做这个。
Zuò zhège.
Do this.
我每天晚上做作业。
Wǒ měitiān wǎnshàng zuò zuòyè.
I do my homework every evening.
她将来想做一名医生。
Tā jiānglái xiǎng zuò yī míng yīshēng.
She wants to be a doctor in the future.

💡 Memory Tip

Think of 做 as 'to do'—it includes the radical 亻(person) and 故 (reason), suggesting a person has a reason to act or make something. Associate it with everyday tasks like 'doing homework' (做作业) to remember its practical use.

📝 Usage Notes

Used in both formal and informal contexts, in spoken and written Chinese. Common in everyday situations like work (做事, zuò shì - to work), cooking (做菜, zuò cài - to cook), or general activities (做作业, zuò zuòyè - to do homework). It is neutral and broadly applicable.

📖 Grammar Points

Often used as a transitive verb with an object (e.g., 做菜, zuò cài - to cook dishes). Can form verb-complement structures like 做得好 (zuò de hǎo - to do well) or 做不完 (zuò bù wán - cannot finish doing). Also appears in serial verb constructions (e.g., 我去做饭, wǒ qù zuò fàn - I go cook).

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, 做 emphasizes practicality and action, reflecting values of diligence and productivity. It is commonly used in phrases about social relationships, like 做人 (zuò rén - to conduct oneself), highlighting the importance of personal behavior.

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to 作 (zuò), which is more abstract or literary (e.g., 作为, zuòwéi - as), 做 is more concrete and everyday. Compared to 干 (gàn), which is informal and often implies 'to do work,' 做 is more neutral and versatile.

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