石臼

shíjiù

noun

Meanings

HSK 4

院子里放着一个旧石臼。

Yuànzi lǐ fàng zhe yí ge jiù shíjiù.

An old stone mortar sits in the courtyard.

HSK 7-9

过去人们用石臼舂米，现在都用机器了。

Guòqù rénmen yòng shíjiù chōng mǐ, xiànzài dōu yòng jīqì le.

People used to pound rice in stone mortars, but now it is all done by machine.

usage

臼 on its own is bookish. The pestle that goes with the mortar is 杵, and the same bowl shape names the molars, 臼齿, the teeth that grind.

石 shí

臼 jiù