凿

鑿

záo

丵 + 凵

HSK 3.0Level 7

Definitions

záo (bound form) chisel; to bore a hole; to chisel; to dig; (literary) certain; authentic; irrefutable; also pr. [zuò]

Etymology

Simplified from 鑿. Depicts a chisel (丵) fashioning an object with an opening (凵).

About

Simplified from 鑿 (which contained 金 'metal' and striking components), the modern 凿 combines 丵 (chisel) and 凵 (an opening), depicting a chisel cutting a hole. It means both a chisel and the action of chiseling, digging, or boring holes in hard surfaces like wood or stone. Its metaphorical senses include opening up passageways, cutting canals or forging routes through difficult terrain, and, from the permanence of a carved hole, evidence that is irrefutable, as solid as stone.

Etymology Hide

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

工人们在凿石头。

Gōngrénmen zài záo shítou.

The workers are chiseling the stone.

他正在用凿子凿木头。

Tā zhèngzài yòng záozi záo mùtou.

He is using a chisel to carve the wood.

他们计划在这里凿一口井。

Tāmen jìhuà zài zhèlǐ záo yī kǒu jǐng.

They plan to dig a well here.

考古学家凿开了古老的石门。

Kǎogǔ xuéjiā záo kāile gǔlǎo de shímén.

The archaeologists chiseled open the ancient stone door.

为了安装管道，他们凿开了混凝土墙。

Wèile ānzhuāng guǎndào, tāmen záo kāile hùnníngtǔ qiáng.

To install the pipes, they chiseled open the concrete wall.

滴水穿石，比喻坚持不懈就能凿穿困难。

Dī shuǐ chuān shí, bǐyù jiānchí bùxiè jiù néng záo chuān kùnnán.

Water dripping wears through stone, a metaphor that perseverance can break through difficulties.

这幅岩画是古人用简陋工具一凿一凿刻画出来的。

Zhè fú yánhuà shì gǔrén yòng jiǎnlòu gōngjù yī záo yī záo kèhuà chūlái de.

This rock painting was carved out by ancient people using simple tools, one chisel stroke at a time.

经过仔细考证，他的论断证据确凿，令人信服。

Jīngguò zǐxì kǎozhèng, tā de lùnduàn zhèngjù quèzáo, lìng rén xìnfú.

After careful verification, the evidence for his argument is irrefutable and convincing.

Related Characters

Component: 丵

Component: 凵

凿