习作 (xí zuō) — (noun) practice piece, exercise (in writing, drawing, etc.); (verb) to practice (writing, composition)

Definition

习作 (xízuò) names the practice piece itself — a student's exercise in writing, drawing, or calligraphy, usually submitted for feedback. As a verb, 习作 means to do this kind of practice work, narrower than 练习 (general practice/drills).

noun
practice pieceexercise (in writing, drawing, etc.)
verb
to practice (writing, composition)
Measure word · 篇

Examples

  • 习作。
    Zhè piān xí zuō shì tā dì yī cì cháng shì xiě xiǎo shuō.
    This practice piece is his first attempt at writing a novel.
  • 习作。
    Lǎo shī ràng wǒ men měi zhōu jiāo yì piān xí zuō.
    The teacher asks us to submit one exercise every week.
  • 习作，。
    Tā měi tiān xí zuō shū fǎ, jìn bù hěn kuài.
    He practices calligraphy every day and improves quickly.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

习xípractice
作zuòwork

习作 is a practice piece; 习 gives the practice idea and 作 gives the composition or work.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 習; 习 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 習 pairs 羽 (wings) with 日 (sun), showing a bird learning to fly; the simplified 习 is a later shorthand.

Open 习 →

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 →

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