爪 (zhǎo) - Claw, talon & paw

爪Tone 3

zhǎo ｜ 4 strokes ｜ radical: 爪

丈志

爪 · zhǎo

Claw, talon;

paw;

nail;

also a radical in Chinese characters;

in ancient texts, can refer to fingernails or the act of scratching.

Claw, talonpawnail

Usage highlights

Dragon's clawChicken clawBear clawClaw markClaw and toothClaw

Synonyms

  • 爪牙— claws and teeth; henchmen
  • 爪子— claw; paw (colloquial)

Antonyms

  • 掌— palm (as opposed to claws)
  • 蹄— hoof (different type of animal extremity)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The eagle has sharp claws (鹰爪).
  • Cat's paw (猫爪).
  • Tiger claws are used in traditional medicine (虎爪).
  • He scratched with his fingernails (用指甲爪).

Collocations

  • Dragon's claw(龙爪)
  • Chicken claw(鸡爪)
  • Bear claw(熊爪)
  • Claw mark(爪痕)
  • Claw and tooth(爪牙)
  • Claw-shaped(爪形)

Idioms

  • Claws and teeth — referring to accomplices or henchmen(爪牙)
  • One claw reveals the whole leopard — from one small clue one can infer the whole picture(一爪知全豹)
  • Dragon's claw and phoenix's wings — describing powerful and majestic appearance(龙爪凤翼)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • As a radical, 爪 appears in many characters related to hands, grasping, or actions involving fingers/claws.
  • In Chinese cuisine, chicken feet are called 'phoenix claws' (凤爪) as a euphemism.
  • The character originally depicted a hand with fingers/claws in oracle bone script.

FAQ