着工
ちゃっこう · chakkou · JLPT N1 · noun
work
🚧 着 (arrive) + 工 (construction work) = work has arrived on site, so construction begins
着 means arrive or reach, and 工 means work or construction. Together, 着工 is the day when construction work first reaches the site. Japanese news often reports it as the groundbreaking date.
着 — sheep 羊 (top) + eye 目 (bottom)
着 originated as a variant of 著, which depicted plants emerging visibly above ground (grass radical 艹 over 者). Over time 着 split off to carry meanings like 'attach,' 'wear,' or a verb suffix marking ongoing action (zhe), while 著 kept senses like 'manifest' or 'author.'