Definitions

qiào to lift; to pry open; to lever open

Etymology phono-semantic

hand

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "撬" is a phono-semantic compound consisting of the hand radical 扌 on the left, which semantically relates to manual actions, and the component 毳 on the right, functioning primarily as a phonetic element despite the imperfect match in pronunciation. Etymologically, this character was constructed to represent the specific action of prying or levering, directly reflecting the involvement of hand force in such activities. Its meaning has consistently centered on the application of mechanical advantage through a tool to open or move objects, with no notable deviations from this core concept over time, while its structural form has remained unchanged in standard usage.

Example Sentences Hide

他用开箱子。

Tā yòng qiàogùn qiào kāi xiāngzi.

He used a crowbar to pry open the box.

工人动了石头。

Gōngrén qiào dòngle shítou.

The worker levered the stone.

这把棍很结实。

Zhè bǎ qiàogùn hěn jiēshi.

This crowbar is very sturdy.

他们想开那扇门。

Tāmen xiǎng qiào kāi nà shàn mén.

They want to pry open that door.

小偷试图开保险箱。

Xiǎotōu shìtú qiào kāi bǎoxiǎnxiāng.

The thief tried to pry open the safe.

消防员用工具开了变形的车门。

Xiāofángyuán yòng gōngjù qiào kāile biànxíng de chēmén.

The firefighter used tools to pry open the deformed car door.

我们需要合力才能动这块巨石。

Wǒmen xūyào hé lì cái néng qiào dòng zhè kuài jùshí.

We need to work together to lever this huge rock.

工程师设计了一个杠杆系统来起重物。

Gōngchéngshī shèjìle yī gè gànggǎn xìtǒng lái qiào qǐ zhòngwù.

The engineer designed a lever system to lift heavy objects.