TongTong
Sign in

造化 (zào huā) — the creative power of nature; Heaven (as the force that shapes destiny)

Definition

造化 (zàohuà) names the cosmic force — Heaven or Nature — that creates and shapes all things, including human destiny. In phrases like 造化弄人 it means 'fate'; in 造化的杰作 it means 'nature'.

noun
the creative power of natureHeaven (as the force that shapes destiny)

Examples

  • 造化，。
    Zhēn shì zào huā nòng rén, tā men jìng rán zài yì guó tā xiāng xiāng yù le.
    Fate really plays tricks — they unexpectedly met in a foreign land.
  • 造化。
    Gǔ rén rèn wéi wàn wù dōu shì zào huā de jié zuò.
    The ancients believed all things are the masterpiece of nature.
  • ，造化。
    Tā néng yǒu jīn tiān de chéng jiù, quán kào zào huā juàn gù.
    His achievements today are all thanks to the favor of Heaven.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

造zàomake
化huàtransform

造 (make) and 化 (transform) are parallel creative acts, giving the power of nature that shapes destiny.

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
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 →

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

化 shows two person figures, one upright and one upside down, to give the idea of reversal or change.

Open 化 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.