056 Writer

Famous writer and environmental campaigner Stanley Johnson joins ShaoLan in this episode of Talk Chineasy to learn how to say “writer” in Chinese. Stanley also shares what it’s like to be a best-selling author!

作 (zuò) means “to do”, “to compose.”

家 (jiā) means “family”. In Chinese etymology, the character depicts a pig under a roof – shelter. This character can also mean “family/school of thought.”

The combination of both characters: 作 “to compose” + 家 “school of thought” = 作家 “writer.” Isn’t this a poetic title for a poetic profession!