How to Write 镢 (jué) — Meaning “pickaxe”

Imagine a metal pickaxe (钅) striking a stubborn rock until it cracks with a 'jué' sound. The right side 厥 can be broken into 厂 (cliff), 䒑 (two plants), and 欠 (yawn), suggesting you yawn while digging under a cliff. This connects the shape to the tool's hard labor.

The left side 钅 has three horizontal strokes, and the last one turns upward into a hook. The right side 厥 is complex: write 厂 first, then 䒑 (two small strokes like grass), then 欠 (three strokes). Keep the overall character balanced, with the right side slightly wider than the left.

镢 (pickaxe) uses the metal radical and has the phonetic 厥, while 镆 (mò) is a type of ancient sword and uses 莫. 镇 (zhèn) means 'to press down' or 'town', and its right side is 真. Visually, 镢 has more strokes on the right and is only used for digging tools, not for weapons or settlements.

镢 is mostly used in agricultural or rural contexts, especially in words like 镢头 (pickaxe) and 铁镢 (iron mattock). It is not common in daily conversation but appears in literature about farming, construction, or historical tools. In culture, the pickaxe symbolizes hard work and land cultivation.

Common words containing 镢 include: 镢头 (jué tóu) — pickaxe; 铁镢 (tiě jué) — iron mattock; 挥镢 (huī jué) — wield a pickaxe.