How to Say "Stone" in Chinese

石头

shítóu

In Chinese, 'stone' is translated as 石头 (shítóu).

石头 is the standard noun used to refer to a small piece of stone.

Meaning: small piece of stone (noun)

What does it mean word for word?

The word is built from the character 石, which means stone and serves as the root for the full noun 石头.

While 石头 is the common noun for a stone, the single character 石 is more frequently used in formal compounds or as a surname.

In Cantonese, stone is expressed as 石頭. In Taiwanese Hokkien, stone is referred to as 石塊.

When counting stones or referring to a piece of stone, the measure word (classifier) 块 is used.

shítóu

In ancient Chinese weight systems, 石 was not just a rock but a unit of volume for grain, often translated as 'picul'.
In Chinese culture, if someone calls you a 石头, they might be implying you are stubborn or lack emotional flexibility, rather than complimenting your strength.
The character 石 is one of the original pictograms in the Oracle Bone Script, representing a sharp, jagged rock through a simple drawing.

这是什么石头？
What kind of stone is this?
This sentence is useful for asking about the type of 石头.
Tatoeba #5613672 by verdastelo9604, translation #55856 by CK
那个男孩抛了一块石头。
That boy threw a chunk of stone.
This sentence is useful for describing an action involving a piece of 石头.
Tatoeba #1790103 by sadhen, translation #7768877 by sharris123
不要对狗丢石头。
Don't throw a stone at the dog.
This sentence is useful for providing a warning about throwing a 石头.
Tatoeba #435386 by fucongcong, translation #239144 by Zifre
我在海边捡到了一块漂亮的石头。
I found a beautiful stone on the beach.
孩子们在路边玩着小石子。
The children were playing with small stones by the roadside.
我用石頭建了一個小房子。
I built a small house with stones.
我在山上踩到一個大石塊。
I stepped on a big stone on the mountain.
6 more sentences on Tatoeba

Two friends are walking on a beach.

佳怡 Jiayi

你看，这块石头很漂亮。
Nǐ kàn, zhè kuài shítou hěn piàoliang.
Look, this stone is very beautiful.
浩然 Haoran

真的，它像个心形。
Zhēnde, tā xiàng gè xīnxíng.
True, it looks like a heart.
佳怡 Jiayi

我能把这个石头带回家吗？
Wǒ néng bǎ zhège shítou dài huíjiā ma?
Can I take this stone home?
浩然 Haoran

当然可以，浩然支持你。
Dāngrán kěyǐ, Hàorán zhīchí nǐ.
Of course you can, Haoran supports you.

Sources

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