砧 (zhēn) — anvil (metalworking tool)
Definition
砧 (zhēn) is a bound form meaning 'anvil' — the heavy iron block a blacksmith hammers hot metal on. It almost always appears as 砧子 colloquially or in compounds like 砧板 (chopping board).
bound form
anvil (metalworking tool)
Examples
- 砧。Tiě jiàng bǎ shāo hóng de tiě fàng zài zhēn shàng qiāo dǎ.The blacksmith placed the red-hot iron on the anvil and hammered it.
- 砧。Gǔ dài de tiě jiàng yòng zhēn lái dǎ zào nóng jù.Ancient blacksmiths used anvils to forge farming tools.
- 砧。Zhè bǎ jiàn shì zài zhēn shàng fǎn fù chuí liàn chū lái de.This sword was forged through repeated hammering on the anvil.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
砧 pairs 石, a stone, with 占, which gives its sound.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.