桶工
tǒnggōng
The English word 'cooper' can be translated into Chinese as 桶工 (tǒnggōng) or 桶匠.
Meaning: craftsman (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 桶工 | tǒnggōng |
| 桶匠 | tǒngjiàng |
Which one should you use?
桶工 is a more general term for a barrel worker, while 桶匠 emphasizes the person's skill as a craftsman.
How do you pronounce it?
tǒnggōng
Did you know?
- The character 匠 in 桶匠 is used in the term 匠心 to describe a 'craftsman's heart', which refers to a spirit of ingenuity or meticulous creativity.
- In ancient China, the role of a 桶匠 was closely linked to the production of wine and salt, as these were the primary goods stored in wooden casks before the widespread use of ceramics.
- To describe the actual skill of a 桶匠 in a historical sense, Chinese speakers use the word 手艺 (shǒuyì), which literally translates to 'hand art'.
Examples in context
- 库珀是一个技艺高超的工匠。Cooper is a skilled craftsman.
- 昨天的会议上我遇到了库珀。I met Cooper at the conference yesterday.
- 那位桶工非常擅长做木桶。Nà wèi tǒnggōng fēicháng shàncháng zuò mùtǒng.That cooper is very good at making wooden buckets.
- 他从小就想成为一名桶工。Tā cóngxiǎo jiù xiǎng chéngwéi yī míng tǒnggōng.He has wanted to be a cooper since he was young.
- 镇上的桶工正在修理旧水桶。Zhèn shàng de tǒnggōng zhèngzài xiūlǐ jiù shuǐtǒng.The town cooper is repairing an old water bucket.
Example conversation
Jiayi and Haoran are visiting a traditional craft museum.
- 佳怡 Jiayi浩然，你看那个桶工在做什么？Hào rán, nǐ kàn nà gè tǒnggōng zài zuò shénme?Haoran, look at what that cooper is doing.
- 浩然 Haoran他正在制作一个木桶。Tā zhèngzài zhìzuò yī gè mùtǒng.He is making a wooden bucket.
- 佳怡 Jiayi现在很少见桶工了。Xiànzài hěn shǎo jiàn tǒnggōng le.It is rare to see a cooper nowadays.
- 浩然 Haoran是的，这是个古老的行业。Shì de, zhè shì gè gǔlǎo de hángyè.Yes, this is an ancient trade.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cooper” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
