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作为 (zuò wéi) — (preposition) as; in the capacity of; (verb) to regard as; to take as; (noun) conduct; deed; achievement

Definition

At HSK 4, 作为 is best learned as the preposition 'as / in the capacity of' (作为一个学生). 视为 is a more formal written verb ('to regard as'), while 为 covers the same prepositional use in shorter, literary style.

preposition
asin the capacity of
verb
to regard asto take as
noun
conductdeedachievement

Examples

  • 作为，。
    zuò wéi Yí gè xué shēng, yīng gāi nǔ lì xué xí.
    As a student, you should study hard.
  • 作为。
    Dà jiā bǎ tā zuò wéi bǎng yàng lái xué xí.
    Everyone regards him as a role model to learn from.
  • 作为。
    Tā de zuò wéi dé dào le dà jiā de rèn kě.
    His conduct gained recognition from everyone.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

作zuòdo; act
为wèido; act

作 and 为 both mean to do or act, so together they give conduct, deed, or to act 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.

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 為; 为 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 為 showed a hand holding an elephant; the simplified 为 is a later shorthand.

Open 为 →

Grammar

Appears in
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