How to Write 钳 (qián) — Meaning “pliers / to clamp”

Imagine using a pair of metal pliers to clamp a sweet candy — the right part 甘 means "sweet" in Chinese. This visual of clamping something sweet helps you remember both the meaning (pliers) and the shape (钅+甘).

The left radical 钅 is narrow and takes five strokes, ending with a bottom horizontal. The right part 甘 has five strokes: a top horizontal, a vertical, then three stacked horizontals. Make sure the right side is slightly wider than the left, and avoid making the middle horizontal in 甘 too long.

钳 (pliers) has the right side 甘 (five strokes), while 钍 (thorium) has 土 (three strokes) and 钎 (drill bit) has 千 (three strokes). In usage, 钳 is a common tool word, but 钍 and 钎 are rare chemical or technical terms not used in daily life.

钳 is most often used in the word 钳子 (pliers or tongs) and in 老虎钳 (a type of heavy-duty pliers). It is not part of the HSK vocabulary, but it appears in tool manuals and hardware contexts. A cultural note: 老虎钳 literally means "tiger pliers," emphasizing strength and grip.

Common words containing 钳 include: 钳子 (qián zi) — pliers / tongs; 老虎钳 (lǎo hǔ qián) — Pliers; 钳住 (qián zhù) — to clamp down / to hold tight.