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作家 (zuò jiā) — author

Definition

作家 is the everyday word for a professional 'author/writer' (novelist, essayist). More literary and prestigious than the more neutral 作者, which is the literal "maker of a text."

noun
author
Measure word · 个, 位

Examples

  • 作家。
    Zhè wèi zuò jiā xiě le hěn duō gù shi.
    This author has written many stories.
  • 作家。
    Wǒ dú guò nà wèi zuò jiā de xiǎo shuō.
    I have read that author's novel.
  • 作家。
    Zhè wèi zuò jiā de zuò pǐn hěn yǒu míng.
    This author's works are very famous.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

作zuòwrite; create
家jiāperson devoted to an activity

作 refers to writing or creating, and 家 denotes a person devoted to that activity, together giving author.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
乍
乍zhà作zuò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left side 亻 comes from 人, meaning 'person', and the right side 乍 gives the sound.

Open 作 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢑓
𢑓𢑓家jiā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The early drawing of 家 showed a roof 宀 over a male-pig sign 𢑓 that gave the pronunciation; the lower part later changed shape.

Open 家 →
Appears in
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