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道Nihongo Path
彫

彫·carve, sculpt

On-yomi
チョウ
Kun-yomi
ほ(る)

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.

11 strokes, numbered in writing order. Data: KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
彫刻ちょうこくsculpture, carving
彫るほるto carve, engrave
木彫りきぼりwood carving
彫刻家ちょうこくかsculptor

Example sentences

  1. 木に名前を彫った。

    きになまえをほった。

    I carved a name into the wood.

  2. 公園に有名な彫刻が置いてあります。

    こうえんにゆうめいなちょうこくがおいてあります。

    A famous sculpture stands in the park.

  3. 祖父は木彫りの人形を作るのが上手だ。

    そふはきぼりのにんぎょうをつくるのがじょうずだ。

    My grandfather is good at making wood-carved dolls.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Mixing 彫る (carve into a surface) with 掘る (dig a hole) — both are ほる
  • Reading 彫刻 as *とうこく

Memory aid

Picture it

周 (all around) plus 彡, the three decorative strokes — cutting a pattern all around the piece.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 彫 mean?