原作 (yuán zuō) — original work (as opposed to an adaptation or translation)

Definition

noun
original work (as opposed to an adaptation or translation)

Examples

  • 原作。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng shì gēn jù yuán zuō gǎi biān de.
    This movie is adapted from the original work.
  • 原作。
    yuán zuō Hé gǎi biān bǎn yǒu hěn dà bù tóng.
    The original work and the adapted version are very different.
  • 原作，。
    Wǒ gèng xǐ huan yuán zuō, ér bú shì diàn yǐng.
    I prefer the original work over the movie.

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.

原yuánoriginal
作zuòwork

An 作 that is 原, the source work before adaptation.

Characters in this word

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

原 combines 泉 (spring) and 厂 (cliff), picturing a spring bursting from a cliff-side, which gives the sense of origin or source.

Open 原 →

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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