雕

• Pinyin: diāo
• Hanzi breakdown: 雕 = 周 (encircling, complete) + 隹 (short-tailed bird); used for both eagle and the act of detailed carving

Meaning

To carve; to engrave; to sculpt by cutting into material. Also a large eagle or raptor.

As a verb, 雕 appears in 雕刻 and 雕塑. As a noun for a bird of prey, it evokes power and majesty in classical poetry. The dual meaning of precision craftsmanship and soaring predator gives 雕 a rich cultural resonance.

Examples

1. 工匠在坚硬的花岗岩上雕出一朵盛开的莲花，线条流畅，栩栩如生，令观者叹为观止。 The artisan carved a blooming lotus into hard granite; the lines were smooth and lifelike, leaving viewers in awe.
2. 苍劲的雕在高空中盘旋，俯瞰着广袤的草原，随时准备以迅雷不及掩耳之势俯冲捕猎。 A powerful eagle circled high overhead, surveying the vast grasslands, ready to dive in an instant to hunt.
3. 这块古朴的砚台上雕着龙纹图案，据说是明代工匠手作，传承至今已逾四百年。 This rustic inkstone is carved with dragon patterns; it’s said to be handmade by Ming-dynasty craftsmen and has been passed down for more than four hundred years.

Usage Guide

Context: art, craft, nature, literature

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 师傅用一把小刀在木块上雕出了一只展翅欲飞的凤凰，每一根羽毛都精细入微，令人叫绝。(The craftsman used a small knife to carve a phoenix spreading its wings from a block of wood — every feather rendered with breathtaking detail.)
• 大漠孤烟，雕翔长空，这幅天地间的壮阔画面令诗人心潮澎湃，诗兴大发。(Lone smoke rising over the vast desert, an eagle soaring across the sky — this sweeping panorama set the poet's heart racing and his verse flowing.)

Don't Say

• 我雕了一幅画 — use 画 for drawing/painting; 雕 requires physically cutting into a hard material, not creating a flat painted or drawn image

Origin & History

雕 = 周 + 隹 (short-tailed bird); used for eagle and for detailed carving — talons associated with precise cutting

Cultural Context

Era: Classical to Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal