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作答 (zuò dá) — to respond, to reply (in a formal or written context)

Definition

作答 (zuò dá) is a formal, written 'to answer / respond' — used in exams, official documents, and serious contexts rather than everyday conversation. Closer to 回答 in formality than to casual 回复.

verb
to respondto reply (in a formal or written context)

Examples

  • 作答。
    Qǐng zài dá tí kǎ shàng zuò dá.
    Please respond on the answer sheet.
  • 作答。
    Tā duì zhè ge wèn tí jìn xíng le zuò dá.
    He responded to this question.
  • 作答。
    Xué shēng bì xū zài shí fēn zhōng nèi zuò dá.
    Students must respond within ten minutes.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

作zuòmake/do
答dáanswer

作 means make or do, and 答 refers to an answer, giving the sense of giving a response.

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
竹竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
合
合hé答dá
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

答 pairs 竹 (bamboo) with 合 as the sound part; the bamboo top replaced an older grass part by mistake.

Open 答 →
Appears in
Communication & Speech

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