作业
zuòyè · HSK 2
school assignment
📚✏️ 作 = do/make + 业 = work/task → 'work to be done'
作 means to do or make; 业 means work, task, or profession (as in 职业 job). Together 作业 literally reads as 'work that's been assigned' — homework or any task. Same 业 appears in 毕业 (graduate) and 行业 (industry).
作 — person radical 亻 + 乍
作 combines the person radical 亻 with 乍, which originally depicted a sudden action or making something. The character means 'to do, make, or create,' with 亻 indicating human activity and 乍 supplying the sound. Over time it broadened to cover works, deeds, and acting as something.
业 — top 业 (originally a notched board)
Originally a pictograph of a notched wooden board hung in ancient classrooms or temples to support bells and chimes. The notches inspired meanings of 'work' and 'profession,' as such boards were tools of trade and study. Today it means business, occupation, or undertaking.