锯 (jù) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

锯

jù[ju4]Tone 4

saw

HSK 7

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鋸

Multiple Readings (多音字):

Guru Deep Dive

English · saw

Cached lesson

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Topology:Left-right

Strokes:13

Writing Balance Rule: Keep the left metal radical (钅) compact and narrow on the left side, leaving enough open space for the right phonetic component (居) so the character does not lean.

Simplification Logic: Simplified from 鋸 by replacing the traditional complex metal component 釒 with the simplified radical 钅.

1. Meaning

a saw or to saw

to cut with a sawa metal tool with jagged teeth for cutting wood or metal

Noun / VerbNeutral#tools#actions#hardware

Sample Usage

这把锯子很好用。
zhè bǎ jùzi hěn hǎoyòng.
This saw is very useful/handy.
他正在锯木头。
tā zhèngzài jù mùtou.
He is currently sawing wood.

2. Sound

/[tɕy⁵¹]/Tone: 51

锯

jùju4

`(51)

=jù

Build the syllable

Step-by-step blending

Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "u" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).

Initial Consonant

Type: Unaspirated Alveolo-Palatal

Sounds like: j sound as in jeep (palatal)

Unaspirated

Airflow Tactile Test: No air puff. Lips spread wide like smiling.

Tongue & Mouth Position: Front of tongue blade pressed near the hard palate

Final Rhyme

Vowel Group: -v vowel group

Sounds like: ü rhymes with German ü or French u

Note: Written as 'u', pronounced as rounded 'ü' [y].

Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ü'.

Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.

Tone

T4 (51)

5 → 1 (51)

4th Tone (High-Falling)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and drops sharply to the bottom, like shouting 'No!' in anger or giving a stern command.

👂

Listening trap: Confusing the rounded ü vowel with the flat u vowel (ju vs ju). Make sure your lips are pursed as if whistling while saying 'ee'.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: A sharp, forceful downward chop with your hand, mirroring a downward stroke of a saw.

3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 13 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: Keep the left metal radical (钅) compact and narrow on the left side, leaving enough open space for the right phonetic component (居) so the character does not lean.

Simplification Logic: Simplified from 鋸 by replacing the traditional complex metal component 釒 with the simplified radical 钅.

4. Components

Radical 钅 · Metal radical (metal, tool, or mineral)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 钅 (indicates that this object is a metal tool)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 居 (original sound: jū)

A metal tool (钅) that rests or lives (居) in the workshop, used specifically for cutting through wood or metal: a saw (锯).

钅 metal radical indicating a hardware tool
居 provides the sound clue 'ju'

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

9· Phonetic Root: 居 (jū)

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the metal radical (钅) representing a blade or tool, and 居 (jū) which phonetically suggests the sound.

Semantic Evolution: Originally referred to iron cutting tools, later expanded to cover any kind of saw and the verb action of sawing.

Saws in ancient China were invented very early, traditionally attributed to Lu Ban.

6. Sinosphere

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: キョ / Kun: のこぎり

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

Imagine a metal (钅) tool resting inside a house (居) that goes back and forth with a harsh sound to saw (锯) logs in half.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

居

jūto residePhonetic Core (声旁)

剧

jùtheatrical work, drama, acute, severe+ 刂 (knife)

据

jùvariant of 據|据[ju4]+ 扌 (hand)

倨

jù(literary) haughty; arrogant+ 亻 (person)

Explore this family →

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

据(jù)

据 uses the hand radical 扌 (holding/evidence), whereas 锯 uses the metal radical 钅 (hardware/saw).

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

工人师傅正在用[___]锯木头。

Clue: jù

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the metal radical 钅 with the hand radical 扌, leading to writing 据 instead of 锯.

Memory Prompts

Recognition: What does the character 锯 mean and how is it pronounced?

Production: How do you write the Chinese character for 'a saw' (jù) using the metal radical?

锯jùsaw

Speed:

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