雕塑

• Pinyin: diāo sù
• Hanzi breakdown: 雕 = 周 + 隹 (to carve); 塑 = 朔 + 土 (to mould with earth/clay)

Meaning

To sculpt; the art of sculpting. Also a sculpture or three-dimensional artwork created by carving or modelling materials.

雕塑 refers to both the process and the product. Widely used in art criticism, museum contexts, and urban planning for public sculptures. A central concept in fine arts education and discourse. 青铜雕塑 (bronze sculpture) and 抽象雕塑 (abstract sculpture) are common collocations.

Examples

1. 广场中央矗立着一座气势恢宏的青铜雕塑，纪念那段艰苦卓绝的革命斗争历史。 In the center of the square stands a magnificent bronze sculpture commemorating that arduous chapter of revolutionary struggle.
2. 这位雕塑家用黏土和石膏雕塑出了一系列表现现代都市孤独感的抽象人物作品，引发广泛共鸣。 This sculptor used clay and plaster to create a series of abstract figures expressing the loneliness of modern city life, resonating widely with audiences.
3. 学生们在美术课上第一次接触雕塑，笨拙地用双手塑造着心中对美好事物的朴素想象与憧憬。 In art class, the students encountered sculpture for the first time and awkwardly shaped with their hands their simple hopes and visions of beautiful things.

Usage Guide

Context: art, museum, urban planning, education

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这座城市以其丰富的公共雕塑著称，每一件作品都与周围的建筑环境和文化氛围相互呼应。(This city is renowned for its rich collection of public sculptures — each work resonates with the surrounding architecture and cultural atmosphere.)
• 他用大理石雕塑了一尊仿古维纳斯像，线条优美流畅，足以让人产生以假乱真的错觉。(He sculpted an antique-style Venus in marble — its lines so beautiful and fluid that the figure could easily be mistaken for an ancient original.)

Don't Say

• 这幅画是雕塑 — 雕塑 is three-dimensional; for flat artwork use 绘画 or 画作; confusing the two is a basic category error in art terminology

Origin & History

雕 (to carve) + 塑 (to mould, to shape material such as clay)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal