Making and creating things with 作
The kanji 作 means create or produce. It appears in words for physical works and works of art.
Etymology
This kanji is a phono-semantic compound. It joins 亻 (person), the meaning component, with 乍, the sound component.
Operations
作業 (Work)
作業 means work, operation, or task activity. It often refers to practical work done step by step.
It combines 作 (make) with 業 (work) to show productive work.
Conan and his friends go to the theater to see a movie. There, they discover this is the last day before the theater closes.
- コナン:
- 「そっか！それで場内にロープとかが落ちてたんだね！」
- “Oh, I see! That's why there were ropes and stuff lying around the venue!”
- オーナー:
- 「スマンのう… 業者の者が上映時間キリキリまで解体作業の準備をしとったから…」
- “Sorry about that... The contractor's crew was rushing to get the dismantling ready right up until showtime...”
- スタッフ:
- 「まったく… 明日まで待ってくれればいいものを…」
- “Honestly... They could've at least waited until tomorrow...”
Production
作成 (Creation)
作成 means creating or preparing something (such as a document or data) in a finished, usable form.
It combines 作 (make) with 成 (accomplish) to show making something into a finished form.
Fuu finds herself spirited away to another world, along with two other girls. A wizard appears before them, saying they cannot return home until they accomplish a specific goal.
- 風:
- 「困りましたわ。 わたし 先生に提出するレポート作成が残ってますのに」
- “Oh dear. I've still got to write that report to hand in to the teacher...”
- 海:
- 「もう 戻れないならレポートの心配なんてしなくていいんじゃないの？」
- “If we can't go back anyway, isn't there no point worrying about the report?”
Strategy
作戦 (Strategy)
作戦 means a plan for carrying out an operation. It often refers to military strategy, but it also works for everyday plans and schemes.
It combines 作 (make) with 戦 (battle) to show a plan made for battle.
Sacchan and Kotoha notice Yui walking with a couple of her friends from school. The two decide to sneak and follow after them. Sacchan notices Yui doesn’t act quite the same with these friends as she does with Sacchan and Kotoha.
- さっちゃん:
- 「潜入作戦とかで別人になりきることがあるかもしれないから」
- “Maybe it's because she's in an undercover operation or something that she sometimes pretends to be a different person....”
- 「学校の時の結衣は結衣らしさを消してすごしてるのかもしれない」
- “...that Yui at school might be trying to hide her true self.”
- “Maybe it's because she's in an undercover operation or something that she sometimes pretends to be a different person....”