锤 (chuí) - Hammer — a tool with a heavy head & to hammer, strike, or forge.

锤Tone 2

chuí ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

橙丁

锤 · chuí

Hammer — a tool with a heavy head and handle used for pounding, striking, or driving;

to hammer, strike, or forge.

Hammer — a tool with a heavy headto hammer, strike, or forge.

Usage highlights

HammerSledgehammerTo hammer/forgeHammer and sickleAir hammerHammer drill

Synonyms

  • 榔头— hammer (more colloquial)
  • 槌— mallet, beetle

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He used a hammer (锤子) to drive in the nail.
  • The blacksmith hammers (锤打) the red-hot iron.
  • This is a sledgehammer (大锤).
  • The stock price was hammered (遭到重锤).

Collocations

  • Hammer(锤子)
  • Sledgehammer(大锤)
  • To hammer/forge(锤打)
  • Hammer and sickle(锤子和镰刀)
  • Air hammer(气锤)
  • Hammer drill(锤钻)

Idioms

  • To temper through repeated hammering(千锤百炼)
  • One hammer decides the sound(一锤定音)
  • To hammer and forge diligently(锤炼功夫)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically an essential tool in metalworking and construction, symbolizing craftsmanship and physical labor.
  • In communist symbolism, the hammer represents industrial workers (paired with the sickle for peasants).
  • Metaphorically used to describe rigorous training or decisive action (e.g., 千锤百炼, 一锤定音).

FAQ