作文

• Pinyin: zuò wén
• Hanzi breakdown: 作 = 亻 (person radical) + 乍 (phonetic); 文 = pictograph of a person with decorative tattoos, meaning 'writing/culture'

Meaning

Essay; composition; writing assignment. A piece of writing done as schoolwork.

Primarily used in school contexts to refer to student compositions or essays. In Chinese schools, 作文 is a regular assignment and an important part of language education. Can also refer to the skill of essay writing itself.

Examples

1. 老师让我们写一篇作文。 The teacher asked us to write an essay.
2. 他的作文写得很好。 His essay is very well written.
3. 今天的作文题目是'我的家'。 Today's essay topic is 'My Home.

Usage Guide

Context: school, education

Tone: academic

Do Say

• 这篇作文你写了多长时间？(How long did it take you to write this essay?)
• 我不太会写作文。(I'm not very good at writing essays.)

Don't Say

• 我做了一个作文。(Don't use 做 with 作文 — use 写 (write). Say 我写了一篇作文.)

Origin & History

Compound of 作 (to make/create) and 文 (writing/text), literally 'to create text' — i.e., the product of creative writing.

Cultural Context

Generation: Students / All ages

Social background: Universal