锄 (chú) — (noun) hoe; (verb) to hoe, to dig up (soil, weeds) with a hoe
Definition
锄 (chú) is a hoe and the act of hoeing — lighter than 铲 (shovel), aimed at loosening soil or weeding rather than scooping. Unlike 耕 (plowing a whole field), 锄 is small-scale garden work.
noun
hoe
verb
to hoeto dig up (soil, weeds) with a hoe
Measure word · 把
Easily confused
Examples
- 锄,。Zhè bǎ chú hěn qīng, yòng qǐ lái hěn fāng biàn.This hoe is very light and convenient to use.
- 。Tā měi tiān zǎo shàng dōu qù chú cǎo.He goes to hoe weeds every morning.
- 锄。Tā men chú le yì zhěng tiān de dì.They hoed the all day long.
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.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 鋤; 锄 is its simplified writing.
The traditional form 鋤 pairs 金 (metal) with 助, which gives the sound; the simplified 锄 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.