用作 (yòng zuò) — to use as, to serve as | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

用作 (yòng zuò) means 'to use [something] as / serve as' — the object is what you USE, the complement is its new ROLE. Common in 把/被 constructions: 把旧报纸用作包装材料.

verb

to use asto serve as

Examples

用作。
Zhè ge fáng jiān bèi yòng zuò cāng kù.
This room is used as a warehouse.
用作。
Tā bǎ jiù bào zhǐ yòng zuò bāo zhuāng cái liào.
He uses old newspapers as packaging material.
用作。
Tā de jīng yàn kě yǐ yòng zuò cān kǎo.
His experience can be used as a reference.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

'用' (use) + '作' (as) builds use as, meaning to serve as something.

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.

用 was formed by adding a handle to an earlier form.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

亻乍作

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.

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