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做文章 (zuò wén zhāng) — to make an issue of something; to fuss over something; to make a song and dance about something

Definition

做文章 is an idiomatic verb meaning to make a fuss or create an issue over something, often implying hidden motive or excessive scrutiny. Use it when someone is deliberately blowing a small matter out of proportion.

verb
to make an issue of somethingto fuss over somethingto make a song and dance about something

Examples

  • 。
    Tā men zài zhè jiàn shì shàng zuò le bù shǎo wén zhāng.
    They made quite a fuss over this matter.
  • 做文章。
    Nǐ bú yòng ná zhè jiàn shì lái zuò wén zhāng.
    You don't need to make an issue out of this.
  • 做文章。
    Tā zǒng xǐ huan zài xì jié shàng zuò wén zhāng.
    He always likes to fuss over details.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

做zuòdo
文章article
文wénwriting章zhāngchapter
联合Coordinate

做 do and 文章 article combine literally to write an article and figuratively to make an issue.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 做 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

The current form 文 shows a man with head, arms, legs, and chest; the tattoo marks on the chest are no longer drawn.

Open 文 →

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

章 shows a chisel piercing a piece of jade in the middle. It originally meant treating jade.

Open 章 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set Phrases

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