化作 (huà zuò) — to transform into, to become | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A literary verb meaning 'to transform into / become', used mainly in writing for abstract or poetic changes (e.g. anger into strength). Compare with 变成, the everyday neutral 'to turn into'.

verb

to transform intoto become

Examples

化作。
Tā huà zuò le yì zhī hú dié.
He transformed into a butterfly.
化作，。
Yǔ shuǐ huà zuò hé liú, liú xiàng dà hǎi.
Rainwater turns into rivers and flows to the sea.
化作。
Tā de fèn nù huà zuò le yì gǔ lì liàng.
His anger turned into a surge of strength.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

化huàtransform

化 (transform) and 作 (become) combine to mean change into.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

化 shows two person figures, one upright and one upside down, to give the idea of reversal or change.

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

亻乍作

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.

Appears in

Change & Process

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