折叠小刀
zhé dié xiǎo dāo
The English word "penknife" is translated into Chinese as 折叠小刀 (zhé dié xiǎo dāo).
The term is used to describe a small pocketknife.
Meaning: small pocketknife (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of 折叠 (zhé dié) meaning 'folding', 小 (xiǎo) meaning 'small' and 刀 (dāo) meaning 'knife'.
Which one should you use?
The alternative 折叠刀 (zhé dié dāo) is a common and slightly more concise way to say "folding knife".
How do you pronounce it?
zhé dié xiǎo dāo
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, giving a 刀 'knife' as a gift is often avoided because it can symbolize the cutting of a relationship or the ending of a friendship.
- The character 刀 (dāo) used in 折叠小刀 is also the name for the 'sabre' or 'broadsword' in historical Chinese martial arts, making the word for a tiny pocketknife a shared component with legendary weapons.
- The character 折 (zhé) in 折叠 originally meant 'to break' or 'to snap', which provides a vivid sense of the mechanical action of the knife.
Examples in context
- 这把折叠小刀很锋利。Zhè bǎ zhédié xiǎodāo hěn fēnglì.This penknife is very sharp.
- 我口袋里有一把折叠小刀。Wǒ kǒudài lǐ yǒu yī bǎ zhédié xiǎodāo.I have a penknife in my pocket.
- 你可以借我那把折叠小刀吗？Nǐ kěyǐ jiè wǒ nà bǎ zhédié xiǎodāo ma?Can you lend me that penknife?
Example conversation
At a campsite, Haoran is trying to cut some rope.
- 浩然 Haoran雨婷，你有折叠小刀吗？Yǔtíng, nǐ yǒu zhédié xiǎodāo ma?Yuting, do you have a penknife?
- 雨婷 Yuting有的，就在我的背包里。Yǒu de, jiù zài wǒ de bèibāo lǐ.Yes, it is in my backpack.
- 浩然 Haoran太好了，我需要切绳子。Tài hǎole, wǒ xūyào qiē shéngzi.Great, I need to cut the rope.
- 雨婷 Yuting给你，用完记得收好。Gěi nǐ, yòng wán jìdé shōu hǎo.Here you go, remember to put it away after use.
