How to Write 座 (zuò) — Meaning “Seat; base; (classifier for large objects)”

Imagine a person sitting (坐) under a wide roof (广) — this is their seat. You can think of 'roof + sit = seat' to connect the shape to the meaning. Another tip: the top stroke of 广 is like a canopy over the 'sitting' part.

Write the radical 广 first: dot, then left-downward stroke, then horizontal line — keep it wide. Then write 坐 inside: start with two upright 'people' strokes, then the cross, and finish with a long horizontal base. The bottom horizontal of 座 should be wider than the roof to balance the character.

Both use the radical 广, but 座 contains 坐 (sit), meaning seat or base. 底 uses 氐 (bottom/root) and means 'bottom' or 'background'. Visually, 座 has two 'people' strokes in the lower part, while 底 has a short vertical and diagonal. In usage, 座 is for seats or objects, while 底 is for undersides or foundations.

座 is commonly used for seats (座位), clocks (座钟), and zodiac signs (星座). In Chinese astrology, 星座 refers to both Western zodiac constellations and a person's zodiac sign. When talking about a seat on a bus or in a theater, you use 座 (e.g., 请坐这个座 — 'Please sit in this seat').

Common words containing 座 include: 座位 (zuò wèi) — Seat; 座钟 (zuò zhōng) — Table clock; mantel clock; 星座 (xīng zuò) — Constellation / Zodiac sign.