作 – Kanji Meaning, Reading, and Common Words

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What does 作 mean in Japanese?

作 means to make or create. Its kun’yomi verb 作る (tsukuru) is one of the most versatile verbs in Japanese: you 作る meals, plans, friends, and websites alike.

The main on’yomi サク appears in 作文 (sakubun, composition), 作品 (sakuhin, a creative work), and 作家 (sakka, writer). A second on’yomi サ appears in 作業 (sagyou, work, task). The person radical イ on the left fits a kanji about human making.

Reading

On’yomi: サク (saku), サ (sa)

Kun’yomi: つく-る (tsuku-ru)

Basic Information

Kanji 作
Meaning make, create
Stroke Count 7
JLPT Level N4

How to Understand This Kanji

作る (tsukuru) is the all-purpose making verb: 料理を作る (make a meal), 友達を作る (make friends), 計画を作る (draw up a plan). The サク words center on created things: 作文 is the school essay every learner writes, 作品 is a finished creative work, and 作家 is a professional writer. 作業 (sagyou), with the サ reading, is hands-on work or a task: 作業を続ける (continue the work). 手作り (tezukuri) marks something as handmade: 手作りのケーキ carries the warmth of homemade.

Common Words

  • 作る（つくる / tsukuru） — to make, to create
  • 作文（さくぶん / sakubun） — composition, essay
  • 作品（さくひん / sakuhin） — a work (of art, writing, film)
  • 作家（さっか / sakka） — writer, novelist, artist
  • 手作り（てづくり / tezukuri） — handmade, homemade
  • 作業（さぎょう / sagyou） — work, task, operation

Example Sentences

  • 母とケーキを作りました。

    ははとけーきをつくりました。 / Haha to keeki o tsukurimashita.

    I made a cake with my mother.

  • 日本語で作文を書きました。

    にほんごでさくぶんをかきました。 / Nihongo de sakubun o kakimashita.

    I wrote a composition in Japanese.

  • この作家の本が好きです。

    このさっかのほんがすきです。 / Kono sakka no hon ga suki desu.

    I like this writer’s books.

Related Kanji

  • 品

    — Goods/article — 作品 (a creative work) = 作 + 品; making meets the made thing in one word

  • 手

    — Hand — 手作り (handmade) = 手 + 作り; hands are how 作る happens, and the pattern extends to other 手〜 words

  • 書

    — Write — 作文を書く (to write a composition); 作 names the created text and 書 the act of writing it

When Learners Usually See This Kanji

Start with 作る and its everyday objects: ご飯を作る, ケーキを作る, 友達を作る. The friend example is worth memorizing because English does not ‘make’ friends with the same verb so naturally in every context.

Distinguish the two on’yomi by word: サク in 作文, 作品, 作家; サ in 作業 (and in 動作, movement). There is no shortcut rule, but the high-frequency words are few enough to learn directly.

手作り (tezukuri) follows a productive pattern: 手 (hand) + verb stem. Seen on labels and menus, 手作り signals homemade or handcrafted, and it pairs neatly with 作る sentences: 手作りのプレゼントを作りました。

Summary

作 means make: 作る for the verb, サク in 作文, 作品, and 作家, and サ in 作業. Learn 手作り (handmade) and the friendly idiom 友達を作る (to make friends).