锉 (cuò) · file (a tool for smoothing), rasp

Measure Word

一把锉 bǎ

Meanings

1 file (a tool for smoothing)
2 rasp
3 to file (smooth with a file)

Characters

锉

cuò

file (tool); to file smooth

Examples

HSK 7-9

他用锉把金属边缘磨平了。

Tā yòng cuò bǎ jīnshǔ biānyuán mó píng le.

He used a file to smooth down the metal edge.

HSK 7-9

木工师傅用锉修整木料。

Mùgōng shīfu yòng cuò xiūzhěng mùliào.

The carpenter used a rasp to trim the wood.

Components

radical

钅 jīn

metal (radical form of 金)

Side-metal radical on the left - compressed five-stroke form of 金. Indexes 锉 in the metal-tool family with 锅, 锤, 锯, 锐. 锉 names a metal file - a hardened rasp dragged across wood or softer metal to grind it smooth - so the radical names the working material of the tool.

phonetic

坐 zuò

to sit

Right side 坐 supplies the sound - zuò shifted to cuò with regular tone change. Same phonetic in 挫 to thwart, 痤 acne. 坐 (two figures seated on earth) contributes no semantic flavour to 'file'; it is a pure sound peg, useful for predicting that 坐-bearing characters likely read in the cuò/zuò neighbourhood.