Chinese word

刀

Pronunciation

Pinyindāo

Meaning

  • nounknife

Example

桌子上有一把刀。zhuō zi shàng yǒu yì bǎ dāo

There is a knife on the table.

Illustration for 刀 (knife)

More examples

妈妈用刀切菜。mā mā yòng dāo qiē cài

Mom uses a knife to cut vegetables.

Core concept

A sharp-edged implement ranging from a small hand tool to a larger bladed weapon.

Common phrases

  • 一把刀yì bǎ dāo

    a knife

  • 用刀切菜yòng dāo qiē cài

    cut vegetables with a knife

  • 磨刀mó dāo

    sharpen a knife

Similar words

小刀xiǎo dāo: A small knife carried for fine work or cutting small objects.
刀子dāo zi: A common spoken term for a bladed tool used for cutting.
剪刀jiǎn dāo: A tool with two blades that meet to cut paper or cloth.

Definition in Chinese

一种带柄的单刃刀具，用于切割或削材料，也可作为武器使用。yì zhǒng dài bǐng de dān rèn dāo jù yòng yú qiē gē huò xuē cái liào yě kě zuò wéi wǔ qì shǐ yòng

Word origin

刀 (dāo, "knife") began as a pictograph showing a blade and handle, making its basic cutting function easy to connect with later weapon uses.

Usage tips

  • In everyday speech, a following word often specifies the kind or use, so the broad noun becomes more natural in compounds than in a detailed description.

Other meanings

  • bladenoun
  • swordnoun

Related words

  • 菜刀cài dāokitchen knifenoun
  • 刀刃dāo rènknife bladenoun

Word lists with this word