工具
tool; instrument; means
HSK level
- Pinyin
- gōngjù
- Part of speech
- noun
- Level
- HSK 4
- Strokes
- 11
- Register
- neutral
- Measure word
- 件 / 个
- In episodes
- 1
Stroke order for 工具
工具 is written with 11 strokes (工: 3, 具: 8). The animation replays automatically.
What does 工具 mean?
工具 (gōngjù) means 'tool, instrument, or means' — an object or method used to accomplish a task.
Literally 'work-implement,' it covers physical tools (hammer, screwdriver), software and apps (一个学习工具 'a study tool'), and abstract means to an end (语言是交流的工具 'language is a tool for communication'). Two differences from English: first, 工具 spans both concrete hardware and figurative 'means,' so it maps to English 'tool,' 'instrument,' and 'means' at once; context decides. Second, unlike some English uses, 工具 in the figurative sense of a person being 'used as a tool' (工具人 'a tool/pushover in a relationship') is a modern slang extension worth knowing.
The compound 交通工具 ('means of transportation') is a fixed and very common phrase. Register is neutral and appears in daily, technical, and abstract contexts.
Character by character
Memory hook: 工 (work) + 具 (implement) = a work implement, i.e. a tool.
Hear 工具 in real episodes
工具 appears in 1 Fluentide podcast episode at natural native speed. Each sentence plays at the easiest difficulty it exists in — switch it to hear the same moment at your level, with full pinyin and English throughout.
骨头上，有石头工具留下的痕迹。
On the bones were marks left by stone tools.
What Happened to the Neanderthals? Why Homo Sapiens Is the Only Human Species LeftAdvanced
Example sentences
这是一个很有用的工具。
Zhè shì yí ge hěn yǒuyòng de gōngjù.
This is a very useful tool.
neutral
你带工具了吗？
Nǐ dài gōngjù le ma?
Did you bring the tools?
spoken
自行车是很环保的交通工具。
Zìxíngchē shì hěn huánbǎo de jiāotōng gōngjù.
Bicycles are a very eco-friendly means of transportation.
neutral
语言是沟通的工具。
Yǔyán shì gōutōng de gōngjù.
Language is a tool for communication.
written
Common phrases with 工具
Synonyms
器具 means 'utensil / appliance / apparatus,' usually household or kitchen implements. 工具 is broader and covers work tools and abstract means. A ladle is a 器具; a hammer or a software app is a 工具.
手段 means 'means / method / tactic,' abstract and sometimes with a negative shade (不择手段 'by any means'). 工具 as 'means' is more neutral and can be a concrete object. Use 手段 for methods/tactics; 工具 for instruments or neutral means.
Don't confuse 工具 with
Frequently asked questions
Related words from the same episodes
Acquire it by listening
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