Meaning
作家 refers to a professional writer or author, typically someone who writes literature such as novels, essays, poetry, or other creative works. It emphasizes the person's occupation or identity as someone who creates written works, especially in the literary field.
Usage
作家 is used for professional or established writers, especially in literature and creative writing. It carries more prestige than general terms like 写作者. It's commonly used when discussing famous authors or introducing someone's profession. The term is neutral in register and appropriate in both formal and informal contexts.
Examples
- 01鲁迅是中国现代文学史上最伟大的作家之一。.Lu Xun is one of the greatest writers in modern Chinese literary history.
- 02她从小就梦想成为一名作家。.She has dreamed of becoming a writer since she was little.
Characters
Measure words
- 位一位作家
- 个一个作家
Common collocations
- 著名作家famous writer
- 青年作家young writer
- 自由作家freelance writer
- 作家协会writers' association
Antonyms
Origin
The character 家 (jiā) originally means 'family' or 'home' but is commonly used as a suffix to denote an expert or specialist in a field. Combined with 作 (to create/write), 作家 literally means 'one who makes/creates' or 'creation specialist', referring to a writer.