How do you say "pliers" in Chinese?

钳子

qián zi

Noun Hanzi

In Chinese, "pliers" is 钳子 (qián zi).

Listen to the pronunciation:

Free Chinese learning game. No sign-up, play in browser. See all games

Pronunciation

This one reads "qián zi" with second tone, then neutral tone; picture your pitch 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

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

Example sentence

她用钳子抓住了电线。

tā yòng qián zi zhuā zhù le diàn xiàn 。

She gripped the wire with the pliers.

Test your Chinese knowledge in our free browser games.

How to remember 钳子

Link "qián zi" to the scene from "She gripped the wire with the pliers" and the word pliers sticks.

Related words

Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.

Questions about 钳子

How do you pronounce 钳子?

Is 钳子 formal or casual?

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

How is 钳子 used in Chinese?

钳子 is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: 她用钳子抓住了电线。 (She gripped the wire with the pliers.).

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.

"Pliers" in other languages

Curated by Callan 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.

Noun Town language-learning game on PC, Mac and VR

The full experience

Noun Town on PC, Mac & VR

These browser games are just a taste. The full Noun Town is a bigger, deeper 3D world: explore a living town, talk to its characters and learn thousands of words in immersive VR, Mixed Reality, or on your computer. It's an award-winning game with 590+ reviews on Steam and 12 languages to learn.

See the full game ▶

Spot an error? Email us at contact@noun.town