How do you say "chisel" in Chinese?

凿子

záo zi

Noun Hanzi

In Chinese, "chisel" is 凿子 (záo zi).

Listen to the pronunciation:

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Pronunciation

Voice this as "záo zi" — second tone, then neutral tone — rising sharply, the way your voice lifts when you ask "what?"; then the next syllable is light and toneless, barely stressed at all.

Writing and usage

凿子 is written using hanzi. It's a noun, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.

Example sentence

他用凿子雕刻木头。

tā yòng záo zi diāo kè mù tou 。

He carved the wood with a chisel.

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How to remember 凿子

Picture the moment when he carved the wood with a chisel — that image locks onto "záo zi" for chisel.

Related words

Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.

Questions about 凿子

How do you pronounce 凿子?

Voice this as "záo zi" — second tone, then neutral tone — rising sharply, the way your voice lifts when you ask "what?"; then the next syllable is light and toneless, barely stressed at all.

Is 凿子 formal or casual?

凿子 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is 凿子 used in Chinese?

凿子 is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: 他用凿子雕刻木头。 (He carved the wood with a chisel.).

Where can I practice Chinese words for free?

You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Chisel" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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