作 — “to make / to create” in Japanese

Grade 2さく, つく

Radical ⼈ · radical 9 The building block this kanji is filed under

“to make / to create” in Japanese is 作, read saku, tsuku (さく, つく). It is a Grade 2 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 2 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 作品 (work/creation).

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What does 作 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	作
Meaning	to make / to create
Readings	さく, つく
Grade	Grade 2 (Easy)
Curriculum	Kyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example	作品 (work/creation)

How to read 作

作 is read saku (さく) or tsuku (つく) depending on the word.

Words with 作

作品さくひん
作家さっか
操作そうさ
作業さぎょう
耕作
著作
稲作
佳作
傑作

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Kanji read the same way as 作

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Read this character in a real sentence

Updated: 2026-08-28