Chinese–EnglishWith examples

操作

cāo zuò · cao zuo

Same in simplified and traditional Chinese

HSK 4Old HSK 6

Meaning

CC-CEDICT
  1. to work
  2. to operate
  3. to manipulate
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In a conversation

0:12 cartoon

The coffee machine

  1. Liangliang

    这台(zhètái)咖啡机(kāfēijī)怎么(zěnme)操作(cāozuò)？

    How do I operate this coffee machine?

  2. Dengdeng

    先(xiān)按(àn)绿色(lǜsè)的(de)键(jiàn)。

    First press the green button.

  3. Liangliang

    按了(ànle)，没有(méiyǒu)反应(fǎnyìng)。

    I pressed it. Nothing happens.

  4. Dengdeng

    你(nǐ)操作(cāozuò)对(duì)了(le)吗(ma)？

    Did you operate it correctly?

  5. Liangliang

    我(wǒ)按了(ànle)十次(shícì)，可是(kěshì)忘了(wàngle)插电(chādiàn)。

    I pressed it ten times, but I forgot to plug it in.

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In a sentence

2 examples
01

汤(tāng)姆(mǔ)，我(wǒ)想(xiǎng)要(yào)你(nǐ)来(lái)操(cāo)作(zuò)这(zhè)一(yí)个(gè)。

Tom, I want you to handle this one.

Tatoeba: Chinese by mirrorvan · English by CK · CC BY 2.0 FR. Pinyin added or corrected.

02

这(zhè)台(tái)机(jī)器(qì)很(hěn)容(róng)易(yì)操(cāo)作(zuò)。

This machine is easy to handle.

Tatoeba: Chinese by nickyeow · English by CK · CC BY 2.0 FR. Simplified Chinese conversion; Pinyin added or corrected.

Sources & licenses

How to write

Stroke order & practice

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Mainland China stroke order, including traditional characters. Drawing sources & licenses.

The characters

Explore individually
操
cāo

to grasp; to hold

作
zuò

to do; to engage in; to write; to compose

Individual character meanings do not always explain the meaning of a whole word.

Definitions adapted from CC-CEDICT, published by MDBG and its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Pinyin display and entry grouping have been adapted.

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