How to Write 坐 (zuò) — Meaning “To sit; to take (transport).”

Think of two friends (从) sitting down on the earth (土) to rest. Visualize two small figures sitting side by side on a patch of dirt — this image matches the shape and meaning perfectly.

Write the left person first (two strokes: left-falling and right-falling), then the right person, and finally the bottom 土 (three strokes: horizontal, vertical, horizontal). A common mistake is making the two people too wide or unbalanced — keep them close together and centered over 土.

坐 has two people (从) on top of earth, while 圣 (shèng) has 又 (hand) on top of earth and means 'holy'. 圤 (pǔ) is a rare character meaning 'heap'. The key visual difference is that 坐 uses two identical person shapes, not a hand or other element.

Use 坐 for the action of sitting (坐下) and for taking transportation like a car (坐车) or plane (坐飞机). In Chinese culture, when guests are invited to sit, it's polite to wait for the host to say 请坐 (qǐng zuò) before taking a seat.

Common words containing 坐 include: 坐下 (zuò xià) — To sit down.; 坐车 (zuò chē) — To take a car or bus.; 坐飞机 (zuò fēi jī) — To take a plane..