鍬 (qiāo) - Spade — a digging tool with a broad

鍬Tone 1

qiāo ｜ 17 strokes ｜ radical:

器情

鍬 · qiāo

Spade — a digging tool with a broad metal blade and a long handle, used for digging or moving earth, sand, snow, etc.

Spade — a digging tool with a broad

Usage highlights

Iron spadeWooden spadeDigging spadeSnow shovelGarden spadeSpade handle

Synonyms

  • 铲— shovel, spade (similar digging tool)
  • 镐— pickaxe, mattock (complementary digging tool)

Antonyms

  • 笔— brush, pen (writing instrument vs. digging tool)
  • 书— book (scholarly object vs. manual tool)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He dug a hole with a spade (用铁锹挖了个洞).
  • The gardener uses a small spade for planting (园丁用小铲子种植).
  • We need a snow shovel to clear the driveway (我们需要雪锹清理车道).
  • This spade is made of durable steel (这把锹是用耐用钢材制成的).

Collocations

  • Iron spade(铁锹)
  • Wooden spade(木锹)
  • Digging spade(挖锹)
  • Snow shovel(雪锹)
  • Garden spade(园锹)
  • Spade handle(锹把)

Idioms

  • Wield spade and hoe(抡锹挥镐)
  • Spade in hand, ready to work(持锹待作)
  • Spade and basket for earthwork(锹筐土工)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Traditionally an essential agricultural tool in rural China, symbolizing hard labor and farming.
  • Appears in folk sayings and idioms related to manual work and construction.
  • Represents practical, down-to-earth qualities rather than scholarly or refined attributes.

FAQ