(qiè) - To carve & to engrave

Tone 4

qiè | 14 strokes | radical:

· qiè

To carve;

to engrave;

to chisel;

to cut;

to inscribe;

to persevere;

to be persistent.

To carveto engraveto chisel

Usage highlights

To carve jadeEngraving and carvingTo carve charactersTo carve a sealUnyielding perseveranceTo carve on metal or stone

Synonyms

  • to carve; to engrave
  • to carve; to engrave
  • to engrave; to carve

Antonyms

  • to abandon; to give up

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He carved the jade with great skill (锲玉).
  • The artisan engraved the inscription (锲刻).
  • We must persevere in our studies (锲而不舍地学习).
  • The ancient text was carved on bamboo slips (锲于竹简).

Collocations

  • To carve jade(锲玉)
  • Engraving and carving(锲刻)
  • To carve characters(锲字)
  • To carve a seal(锲印)
  • Unyielding perseverance(锲而不舍)
  • To carve on metal or stone(锲金镂石)

Idioms

  • Unyielding perseverance; to keep on chipping away(锲而不舍)
  • To carve on metal and inscribe on stone(锲金镂石)
  • To carve and polish jade(锲玉琢磨)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Derived from ancient practices of carving characters on bamboo, wood, or bone before the invention of paper.
  • The character embodies the virtue of persistence and meticulous effort, as seen in the idiom 锲而不舍.
  • Associated with craftsmanship, scholarship, and the enduring nature of inscribed records.

FAQ