Chinese Radicles Series刀dāo

The word 刀 means ‘knife’ or ‘sword’. The pictogram of a word depicts a curved cutting tool with a short handle. The lower part of the pictogram represents the blade.

In the past, before the introduction of gunpowder, swords were an important fighting weapon of the Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans.
The word 刀 can be used on its own in phrases, for example, 刀枪 (dāo qiāng, ’sword and spear’)，镰刀 (lián dāo, ‘sickle’).

刀 is also used as a component in word formation. Words with this component are related to its original meaning, for example 切 (qiē, ‘cut’), 剪 (jiǎn, ’cut with scissors’). But more often, the component changes to and appears on the right side of a word. Words that contain are mostly related to ‘knives’ or ‘punishment’. For example, 刑 (xíng, ’punishment’) 利 (lì, ’sharp’) and 刺 (cì, ‘pierce’).

Idioms and phrases
刀把 dāo bà
Handle of a knife
刀叉 dāo chā
Knife and fork
刀锋 dāo fēng
The blade of a knife
刀口 dāo kǒu
The cutting edge of a knife
刀片 dāo piàn
Razorblade
刀山火海 dāoshān-huǒhǎi
Literally ‘a mountain of knives and sea of fire’; used to describe a dangerous place
刀伤 dāo shāng
A wound caused by a knife
刀子 dāo zi
Knife