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当作 (dàng zuò) — to regard as; to treat as

Definition

当作 is a verb meaning 'to regard/treat as,' most common after 把 or 被. Among near-synonyms, 当成 and 看作 are interchangeable in most uses; 为/作为 are more formal or grammatical (e.g., 以…为…).

verb
to regard asto treat as

Examples

  • 当作。
    Wǒ bǎ tā dàng zuò zuì hǎo de péng you.
    I regard her as my best friend.
  • 当作。
    Bié bǎ zhè jiàn shì dàng zuò ér xì.
    Don't treat this as a game.
  • 当作。
    Tā bèi dà jiā dàng zuò bǎng yàng.
    He is regarded as a role model by everyone.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

当dāngtreat
作zuòas

当 means to treat and 作 means as; together they mean regard as.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 當; 当 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
尚
尚shàng當dāng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 當 combines 田 (field) with 尚; the evidence describes fields facing each other.

Open 当 →

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 →

Grammar

Appears in
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