HSK 4 · Objects

动作 dòngzuò “movement” in Chinese

Traditional 動作

What 动作 means

  1. movement
  2. motion
  3. action
  4. to act
  5. to move

How to say 动作

  • Pitch chart of the fourth tone: falls from high to low, 5 to 1 on the five-level scale动dòng4th tone, falling
  • Pitch chart of the fourth tone: falls from high to low, 5 to 1 on the five-level scale作zuò4th tone, falling

动作 in a sentence

  1. 松鼠动作很快。

    Sōngshǔ dòngzuò hěn kuài.

    Squirrels move quickly.

    Sentence #348588 from Tatoeba

  2. 要想赶上火车就动作快点。

    Yào xiǎng gǎnshàng huǒchē jiù dòngzuò kuàidiǎn.

    You’ll have to get a move on if you want to catch the train.

    Sentence #1894685 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

  3. 这舞者的每一个动作都是完美的。

    Zhè wǔzhě de měi yí ge dòngzuò dōu shì wánměi de.

    Every move this dancer makes is perfect.

    Sentence #818092 from Tatoeba · converted to simplified characters · translation adapted

How 动作 is built

Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.

The character 动 (dòng) with each of its parts in a different colour
动dòngto move
  • 云cloud · yún
  • 力strength · lìMeaning part

Memory aidStrength 力 makes things move. In the full form 動, 重 (zhòng) gave the sound.

The character 作 (zuò) with each of its parts in a different colour
作zuòto do; to engage in
  • 亻person form of 人 · rén
  • 乍first time · zhà

Memory aidPerson 亻 with 乍 (zhà) for the sound: to make, to do.

How to write 动作

动 6 strokes · 作 7 strokes

Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.

动作 (dòngzuò) stroke order chart: each stroke of the characters in the order you write them
Stroke order chart for 动作 (dòngzuò). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.

Words related to 动作

Words with 动

动dòng · to move运动yùndòng · to exercise动物dòngwù · animal动物园dòngwùyuán · zoo运动员yùndòngyuán · athlete运动会yùndònghuì · sports meet活动huódòng · activity感动gǎndòng · to be moved激动jīdòng · excited行动xíngdòng · to act

Words with 作

工作gōngzuò · to work作业zuòyè · school assignment工作日gōngzuòrì · working day作者zuòzhě · author作家zuòjiā · writer作用zuòyòng · effect制作zhìzuò · to make写作xiězuò · writing作文zuòwén · to write an essay合作hézuò · to cooperate

More words: Everyday Things

场chǎng · measure word for events: a spell (of rain)窗户chuānghu · window答案dá'àn · answer刀dāo · knife方法fāngfǎ · method方面fāngmiàn · respect方向fāngxiàng · direction公里gōnglǐ · kilometre

FAQs

动作 (dòngzuò) means “movement” or “motion”. It is an HSK 4 word.
Say it dòngzuò: dòng with a 4th tone, then zuò with a 4th tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
In Traditional characters, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, 动作 is written 動作. The pronunciation is the same.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type dongzuo with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 动作 from the suggestions. Typing dongzuo into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
动作 is an HSK 4 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.

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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.