凿 meaning and stroke order
(bound form) chisel; to bore a hole; to chisel; to dig; (literary) certain; authentic; irrefutable
How to write 凿, stroke by stroke
12 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 凿
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) chisel
- to bore a hole; to chisel; to dig
- (literary) certain; authentic; irrefutable
- also pr. [zuo4]
How 凿 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A drill 丵 making a hole 凵.
Radical: 凵 (container), shared by 8 characters on this site.
How to remember 凿
Picture the top part 丵 as a drill or chisel pressing down into the open box 凵 below, which is the hole it makes. A tool going into a hollow gives you 凿 (záo), to chisel or bore.
As a verb, 凿 means to chisel, bore, or dig through something hard, as in 凿洞 (záo dòng, to bore a hole) or 凿井 (záo jǐng, to dig a well). Its literary sense of "certain, irrefutable" lives on mainly in 确凿 (quèzáo). Example: 证据确凿。(Zhèngjù quèzáo.) The evidence is conclusive.
Common mistake: Learners often read 凿 as zuò because dictionaries mention that old reading, but standard Mandarin today uses záo in all common words, including 确凿 (quèzáo). Also do not confuse the bottom 凵 with 山 (shān); 凵 is an open container with no middle stroke rising above the sides.
Common words with 凿
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 确凿 | quèzáo | definite; conclusive | HSK 7-9 |
凿 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 凿
How many strokes are in 凿?
凿 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 凿 mean?
凿 (záo) means (bound form) chisel; to bore a hole; to chisel; to dig; (literary) certain; authentic; irrefutable. A common word with it is 确凿 (quèzáo), meaning "definite; conclusive".
How do you pronounce 凿?
凿 is pronounced záo, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 凿?
The radical of 凿 is 凵, which carries the idea of "container". Dictionaries list 凿 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 凿?
The traditional form of 凿 is 鑿. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 凿 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 凿 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 凿 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 凿 and 挖 (wā)?
挖 (wā) is the everyday word for digging, like digging soil with a shovel. 凿 (záo) suggests cutting into something hard, such as stone, wood, or ice, often with a chisel or drill.
How is 凿 used in idioms?
A well known one is 凿壁偷光 (záo bì tōu guāng), "bore through the wall to borrow light," about studying hard despite poverty. Another is 言之凿凿 (yán zhī záo záo), meaning to speak with great certainty.