槽

• Pinyin: cáo
• Hanzi breakdown: 槽 = 木 (wood) + 曹 (phonetic)

Meaning

Trough; groove; slot; manger. A long narrow container or channel.

Refers to a physical trough for animals (马槽, horse manger), a channel or groove in machinery (凹槽, groove/slot), or a fermentation vat (酒槽, distilling vessel). Also appears in internet slang 吐槽 (to complain/roast).

Examples

1. 马厩里的木槽里盛满了新鲜的饲料，几匹马争相低头进食。 The wooden trough in the stable was filled with fresh feed, and several horses jostled to lower their heads and eat.
2. 技术人员在零件上精准地铣出了一道深度均匀的凹槽，用于嵌入密封条。 The technician precisely milled a uniformly deep groove into the part for inserting the sealing strip.
3. 酿酒厂的大型发酵槽内正在进行第二轮发酵，浓郁的酒香弥漫整个车间。 The second round of fermentation is under way in the distillery's large fermentation vats, and a rich aroma of spirits fills the whole workshop.

Usage Guide

Context: agriculture, engineering, food, manufacturing

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 锅炉底部的导流槽出现了裂缝，需要立即停机检修。(A crack appeared in the guide trough at the bottom of the boiler — the machine must be shut down immediately for inspection.)
• 古代行军途中，士兵常常就地挖槽引水解决饮水问题。(On the march in ancient times, soldiers would often dig troughs on the spot to channel water.)

Don't Say

• 把水倒进槽里喝。(槽 alone is too vague — specify 水槽 or simply say 杯子/碗)

Origin & History

槽 = 木 (wood) + 曹 (phonetic, a group/unit). Originally a wooden trough for feeding livestock.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal