Meaning
雕刻 refers to the art or action of cutting, shaping, or engraving hard materials like wood, stone, jade, or metal to create decorative or artistic objects. It encompasses both the process of carving and the finished carved work itself. This term is commonly used in artistic, craft, and cultural contexts.
Usage
雕刻 is used in both everyday and formal contexts when discussing sculpture, woodcarving, stone carving, and engraving. It can refer to traditional Chinese arts like jade carving (玉雕) or modern sculpture. The word works as both a verb (to carve something) and a noun (a carving/sculpture). Often paired with materials: 雕刻木头 (carve wood), 雕刻石头 (carve stone).
Examples
- 01这座寺庙的柱子上雕刻着精美的龙凤图案。.The pillars of this temple are carved with exquisite dragon and phoenix patterns.
- 02他从小就跟父亲学习雕刻木头。.He has been learning to carve wood from his father since childhood.
Characters
Measure words
- 件一件雕刻作品
- 个一个雕刻
Common collocations
- 雕刻艺术art of carving/engraving
- 雕刻家sculptor, carver
- 精雕细刻meticulously carved, finely crafted
- 石雕刻stone carving
Origin
Both characters independently mean 'to carve' or 'to engrave,' creating a compound that reinforces the meaning. 雕 originally depicted a bird of prey and later came to mean carving intricate designs. 刻 shows a knife (刀) component, directly relating to cutting and engraving.