作对

• Pinyin: zuò duì
• Hanzi breakdown: 作 = 亻+ 乍 (person + sudden — to act); 对 = 又 + 寸 (hand + inch — to face/oppose)

Meaning

To oppose; to go against; to act contrary to someone's wishes or interests deliberately.

Describes intentional opposition or antagonism toward a person or group. Carries a personal and often petty connotation — not principled opposition but deliberate contrary behaviour. Common in interpersonal and workplace conflict contexts.

Examples

1. 他始终搞不清楚那位同事为何要处处与他作对，每次合作都故意设置障碍，令人十分困惑。 He could never figure out why that coworker was always opposing him at every turn, deliberately creating obstacles whenever they worked together, which left him deeply confused.
2. 孩子进入青春期后开始事事与父母作对，这是一种寻求独立与自我认同的正常心理发展阶段。 After entering adolescence, children may start opposing their parents in everything; this is a normal stage of psychological development as they seek independence and self-identity.
3. 她从未想过要和任何人作对，只是坚持了自己认为正确的判断，却被误解为刻意的对抗行为。 She had never intended to go against anyone; she simply stuck to the judgment she believed was right, but it was misunderstood as deliberate confrontation.

Usage Guide

Context: interpersonal relations, workplace, family, social dynamics

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 部门间的内耗往往源于个别成员惯于与他人作对，将个人恩怨凌驾于团队目标之上，危害整体效率。(Departmental infighting often stems from certain members habitually opposing others and placing personal grudges above team goals, which harms overall efficiency.)
• 领导者在处理员工纠纷时，应当查明究竟是利益冲突还是单纯的意气用事、故意作对，再对症下药。(When handling employee disputes, a leader should determine whether the root cause is a conflict of interest or purely impulsive, deliberate antagonism, then address it accordingly.)

Don't Say

• 他们两个公司作对 — 作对 implies personal, petty antagonism; for institutional or commercial competition use 竞争 or 对抗 instead

Origin & History

作 (to act/do) + 对 (against/opposing)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal