刀
dāo/tɑʊ̯⁵⁵/
The English word knife is translated into Chinese as 刀 (dāo). Wiktionary also lists 刀子 (dāozi).
Meaning: utensil or tool designed for cutting (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 刀 | dāo | /tɑʊ̯⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /tau⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 刀子 | dāozi | /tɑʊ̯⁵⁵ d͡z̥ɹ̩²/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /tou̯⁵⁵ t͡siː³⁵/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
|
| 刀 | to | /tɤ⁴⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Lukang, Tainan, Yilan, Kinmen, Taichung, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Sanxia, Magong, Hsinchu) /to³³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Lukang, Tainan, Yilan, Kinmen, Taichung, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Sanxia, Magong, Hsinchu) |
Hokkien |
A knife is a utensil or tool designed for cutting. In Mandarin, you can use the root noun 刀 or the common spoken form 刀子.
Which one should you use?
While 刀 is the root noun, the form 刀子 is a very common way to refer to a knife in spoken Mandarin, often used to distinguish a small handheld knife from larger blades.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hokkien, the word is written as 刀 (to) and in Dungan, it is written as до (do).
How does it change in a sentence?
When counting or specifying a knife, the classifier 把 (bǎ) is used between the number/demonstrative and the noun 刀.
How do you pronounce it?
The Hokkien form 刀 is pronounced as /tɑʊ̯⁵⁵/.
Did you know?
- The character for 'knife' is closely linked to the ancient form of the character 利, which means 'sharp' or 'profit'.
- In traditional Chinese culture, the 刀 is often categorized separately from swords, with the former typically referring to single-edged blades.
- The root word 刀 is so fundamental that it appears as a radical in many other characters to indicate sharpness or cutting.
Examples in context
- 我找不到刀。I can't find the knife.This sentence is useful for expressing the inability to locate the 刀.Tatoeba #426439 by GlossaMatik, translation #426437 by CM
- 放下那把刀。Drop that knife.This sentence is useful for an instruction to drop the 刀.Tatoeba #13540017 by LeviHighway, translation #8910444 by CK
- 湯姆拿起了刀。Tom picked up the knife.This sentence is useful for describing the action of picking up the 刀.Tatoeba #5780553 by verdastelo9604, translation #2545756 by CK
- 请给我一把菜刀，我要开始准备晚餐了。Please give me a kitchen knife, I'm going to start preparing dinner.
- 哥们，你有小刀吗？我需要帮你剥个橙子。Hey buddy, do you have a pocket knife? I need to help you peel an orange.
- 53 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Haoran and Jiayi are preparing dinner in the kitchen.
- 浩然 Haoran佳怡，你在用哪把刀？Jiāyí, nǐ zài yòng nǎ bǎ dāo?Jiayi, which knife are you using?
- 佳怡 Jiayi我在用这把切菜的刀。Wǒ zài yòng zhè bǎ qiē cài de dāo.I am using this vegetable knife.
- 浩然 Haoran那把刀太钝了。Nà bǎ dāo tài dùn le.That knife is too dull.
- 佳怡 Jiayi那我换一把刀。Nà wǒ huàn yī bǎ dāo.Then I will switch to another knife.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “knife” translations and entries 刀, 刀子, 刀, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 刀, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
