Comparing the two "zuo"
做 (zuò) and 作 (zuò) are both verbs that can be easily confused because both mean “to do” and are pronounced identically (both fourth tone). While these both mean “to do,” the use of these two words is different and rarely interchangeable. 做 is used very commonly both in informal and formal contexts, whereas 作 is used only in specific formal situations.
做 (zuò) | 作 (zuò) | |
---|---|---|
Meaning | to do (work), to make (food, friends) | (mostly for parts of other words) |
Part of Speech | verb | verb |
Formality | flexible | formal |
Contents
Use 做 "to do" work or "to make" things
Common Phrases
In the following examples only 做 can be used.
- 做 饭 to cook
- 做 生意 to do business
- 做 运动 to do sports
- 做 工作 to do work
Example Sentences
- 我 不常 点 外卖,经常 自己 做 饭。 I don't order take-out often and cook my own food a lot.
- 今天 的 作业 我 做 完 了。 I finished my homework today.
- 做 运动 让 人 心情 很 好。 Doing exercise makes you feel good.
- 我 今天 做 了 一 天 工作。 Today I worked all day long.
- 你 平常 喜欢 做 什么? What do you usually like to do?
Use 做 for "to be" certain roles
Common Phrases
- 做 朋友 to be a friend
- 做 妈妈 to be a mother
- 做 老师 to be a teacher
- 做 律师 to be a lawyer
Example Sentences
- 她 有 了 自己 的 孩子 ,她 做 妈妈 了。 She's got her own kid. She's a mom now.
- 他 做 了 十 年 老师 了。 He's been a teacher for ten years.
- 我的 朋友 是 做 律师 的。 My friend is a lawyer.
Use 作 only as parts of other words
作 as a standalone word used to be more common
It's true that 作 was once more commonly used instead of 做. You might see stuff like this:
- 作 报告to make a report
- 作 测试to take a test
- 作 比较to make comparisons
- 作 回应to respond
- 作 演讲to make a presentation
But nowadays 做 is preferred for all of these uses. You might see 作, but you don't need to use it yourself.
作 is most commonly seen as part of other words
In the following examples only 作 can be used, but it's not a standalone word here, it's simply a building block (called a morpheme in linguistics).
- 工作 work
- 作业assignments
- 作文essay
- 作者writer
- 作弊to cheat
- 作案to commit a crime