How to Write 锨 (xiān) — Meaning “Shovel / Spade”

Picture a metal shovel (钅) making a happy (欣) sound as it cuts into the dirt. The right side 欣 looks like a person with arms open, enjoying the work of digging.

Write the left radical 钅 first — it is narrower and taller than the right side. The right part 欣 has seven strokes; be careful not to confuse the strokes in 斤 (axe) with similar shapes. Keep the overall balance: the left metal radical should align with the right side's height.

锨 means shovel or spade, while 铐 means handcuffs and 铑 means the metal rhodium. Visually, the right side differs: 锨 has 欣 (a phonetic element), 铐 has 考 (kǎo, meaning "exam"), and 铑 has 老 (lǎo, meaning "old").

锨 appears in words like 铁锨 (iron shovel) and 木锨 (wooden shovel), which are common tools for digging, moving soil, or grain. It is not part of everyday conversation but is used in farming, construction, and historical contexts. You might see it in instructions for garden tools or in stories about traditional Chinese agriculture.

Common words containing 锨 include: 铁锨 (tiě xiān) — iron shovel; 锨头 (xiān tóu) — Shovel head; 木锨 (mù xiān) — Wooden shovel.