verb / noun HSK 5
Traditional 協作
xié zuò
to cooperate · to collaborate · cooperation · collaboration

Meaning

协作 means working together toward a common goal, emphasizing coordinated effort between individuals, teams, or organizations. It suggests a more structured, often work-related collaboration than casual cooperation. The word carries a sense of mutual support and combined action to achieve something neither party could accomplish alone.

Usage

协作 is commonly used in professional, academic, and organizational contexts. It appears frequently in workplace discussions, project management, and team-building scenarios. Native speakers often use it when describing interdepartmental coordination, international partnerships, or any situation requiring systematic joint effort. It's more formal than 合作 (hé zuò), though they overlap significantly.

Examples

  1. 01
    这个项目需要各部门之间的密切协作
    Zhège xiàngmù xūyào bùmén zhī jiān de mìqiè xié zuò.
    This project requires close collaboration between departments.
  2. 02
    我们公司非常重视团队协作精神。
    Wǒmen gōngsī fēicháng zhòngshì tuánduì xié zuò jīngshén.
    Our company places great importance on the spirit of team collaboration.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 团队协作
    tuán duì xié zuò
    team collaboration
  • 协作精神
    xié zuò jīng shén
    spirit of cooperation
  • 加强协作
    jiā qiáng xié zuò
    to strengthen collaboration
  • 协作能力
    xié zuò néng
    collaborative ability

Antonyms

Origin

协 originally depicted three forces coming together harmoniously, while 作 means 'to work' or 'to do.' Combined, they literally mean 'to work in harmony together.'

Related