啄 (zhuó) - To peck & to pick with the beak

啄Tone 2

zhuó ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

志

啄 · zhuó

To peck;

to pick with the beak;

to strike lightly and repeatedly.

To peckto pick with the beakto strike lightly and repeatedly.

Usage highlights

WoodpeckerPeck at foodPecking orderPeck at ricePeck a holeChicken pecking

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 吞— to swallow whole
  • 舔— to lick

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The woodpecker pecks at the tree (啄木鸟 pecking the tree).
  • Chickens peck at grains on the ground (鸡啄米).
  • The bird pecked at the window (鸟啄窗户).
  • The doctor tapped his knee with a reflex hammer (医生用锤子啄他的膝盖).

Collocations

  • Woodpecker(啄木鸟)
  • Peck at food(啄食)
  • Pecking order(啄序)
  • Peck at rice(啄米)
  • Peck a hole(啄洞)
  • Chicken pecking(鸡啄)

Idioms

  • The woodpecker treats a tree — to cure by harming(啄木鸟治树 — 以害为利)
  • Chickens pecking and dogs fighting — petty squabbles(鸡啄狗斗)
  • Like a bird pecking — intermittent action(如鸟啄食)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character 啄 vividly depicts the action of birds using their beaks to eat or make holes.
  • In traditional Chinese culture, the woodpecker (啄木鸟) is often seen as a beneficial bird that protects trees by eating insects.
  • The character appears in the Chinese name for woodpecker (啄木鸟), literally meaning 'bird that pecks wood'.

FAQ