雕刻

• Pinyin: diāo kè
• Hanzi breakdown: 雕 = 周 + 隹 (to carve; eagle); 刻 = 亥 + 刀 (to cut into, engrave with a blade)

Meaning

To carve; to engrave. Also the art or product of carving — a sculpture or engraving created by cutting into a hard material such as stone, wood, jade, or metal.

As a verb, 雕刻 describes the process. As a noun, it refers to the finished carved artwork. Widely used in art, craft, and cultural heritage contexts. 木雕刻 (wood carving), 玉雕刻 (jade carving), and 石雕刻 (stone carving) are common compound terms.

Examples

1. 这套精美的象牙雕刻作品展示了民间艺人将传统技艺推向极致的卓越才华与毕生心血。 This exquisite set of ivory carvings showcases the extraordinary talent and lifelong dedication of folk artisans who pushed traditional skills to the limit.
2. 她花费整整三年时间雕刻这座石像，每一个细节都经过反复打磨，力求达到完美的境界。 She spent a full three years carving this stone statue, repeatedly refining every detail in pursuit of perfection.
3. 博物馆专设一展厅陈列历代木雕刻品，详细呈现了这门古老技艺数千年的传承脉络与演变历程。 The museum has a special gallery displaying wooden carvings from different eras, presenting in detail this ancient craft’s lineage and evolution over thousands of years.

Usage Guide

Context: art, craft, museum, cultural heritage

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 玉雕刻是一种需要数十年苦练方能掌握的精湛技艺，学艺之路既漫长又充满挑战与艰辛。(Jade carving is an exquisite craft that takes decades of painstaking practice to master — the path of apprenticeship is both long and full of challenges.)
• 这面砖墙上的浮雕刻画再现了汉代边疆将士征战沙场的英勇场景，历史价值极高。(The bas-relief carvings on this brick wall recreate the heroic scenes of Han dynasty frontier soldiers fighting on the battlefield, carrying immense historical value.)

Don't Say

• 他雕刻了一首诗 — use 题刻 or 镌刻 for engraving text onto a surface; 雕刻 primarily denotes artistic carving of forms and figures, not inscriptions

Origin & History

雕 (to carve; eagle) + 刻 (to engrave, to cut into with precision)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal