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制造 (zhì zào) — to manufacture, to produce (concrete goods); to create, to cause (abstract, e.g., trouble, opportunity)

Definition

制造 is a broad verb covering both factory-scale production and creating abstract situations (trouble, opportunity). 制作 is lighter, for craftwork/media; 生产 is more formal and used for large-scale industrial output.

verb
to manufactureto produce (concrete goods)to createto cause (abstract, e.g., trouble, opportunity)

Examples

  • 制造。
    Zhè jiā gōng chǎng zhuān mén zhì zào qì chē.
    This factory specializes in manufacturing cars.
  • 制造。
    Zhōng guó měi nián zhì zào hěn duō diàn zǐ chǎn pǐn.
    China manufactures a lot of electronic products every year.
  • 制造。
    Bú yào zhì zào bú bì yào de má fan.
    Don't create unnecessary trouble.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

制zhìmake
造zàomake

Both 制 and 造 mean to make, so together they emphasize producing goods.

Characters in this word

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

The form 制 pairs 朱 (tree) with 刀 (knife), showing the act of cutting a tree.

Open 制 →

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
辵辵chuòto walk
口口kǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
屮
屮chè造zào
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

Its origin is unclear, but early forms of 造 include 辵 (to walk) and 口, with 屮 as a sound part, and mean go or arrive.

Open 造 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 4Industry & Manufacturing2000 Most Frequent Chinese Words3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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