ChiramiN4 kanji · 7 strokes
作 means make
亻 person · 乍 suddenly
作Memory trick
A person suddenly (乍) at work: to make.
Memory trick: a picture to help you remember the kanji, not its history.
Meaning and readings
- Meanings
- make, production, prepare, build
- JLPT level
- N4
- Strokes
- 7
- School grade
- Grade 2 in Japan
Japanese (kunyomi) つくる tsukuru
つくる (tsukuru) is the Japanese word for this kanji. You use it when the kanji stands alone or has kana after it. Dictionaries call this the kun reading.
Other Japanese readings: つくり tsukuri
From Chinese (onyomi) サク saku
サク (saku) came from Chinese with the character. You mostly hear it in words made of several kanji. Dictionaries call this the on reading.
Other readings from Chinese: サ sa
Tap a reading to see when it's used. Why kanji have two kinds of reading: onyomi vs kunyomi.
Common word
作る つくる · tsukuru
to make, to produce
Built from
- 亻 person
- 丿 a sweeping stroke
- 一 one
- 丨 a line
Tap a part to see the N5 and N4 kanji that use it.
Quick check
What does 作 mean?
Right: 作 means make.Not quite: 作 means make.In 作る, which reading does 作 use?
Right. 作る is read つくる (tsukuru): 作 takes つく, its Japanese reading, with る after it.Not quite. 作る is read つくる (tsukuru): 作 takes つく, its Japanese reading, with る after it.