斧子

• Pinyin: fǔ zi
• Hanzi breakdown: 斧 = 父 + 斤 (axe with a handle); 子 = 子 (noun suffix)

Meaning

Axe; hatchet; a tool with a heavy metal blade attached to a handle, used for chopping wood or other materials.

A common woodcutting and carpentry tool. The character 斧 appears in the idiom 班门弄斧, meaning to show off one's skills before an expert. Axes also feature prominently in traditional folklore and fairy tales.

Examples

1. 伐木工人挥动斧子，将粗大的树干一一劈成柴薪。 The lumberjack swung his axe, splitting the thick logs into firewood one by one.
2. 消防员在火场中用斧子破窗救出了一名被困的老人。 At the fire scene, the firefighter used an axe to break a window and rescue an elderly man who was trapped inside.
3. 他抡起斧子猛地砍下，一下子将粗壮的木桩劈成两半。 He raised the axe and brought it down hard, splitting the thick wooden stake in two with a single strike.

Usage Guide

Context: tools, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 他去林子里砍柴，随身带了一把锋利的斧子。(He went to the forest to chop firewood, bringing a sharp axe with him.)
• 那把旧斧子刃口已经卷了，需要重新磨砺。(The old axe's edge has rolled over and needs to be re-sharpened.)

Don't Say

• 用斧子切菜 — axes are for chopping hard materials like wood; use 刀 or 菜刀 for cooking purposes

Origin & History

斧 (axe) + 子 (noun suffix)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal