彫

Conveys the act of engraving or carving intricate patterns, especially on stone, wood, jade, or metal. By extension, it signifies artistic refinement, meticulous skill, and ornamented beauty — something shaped through care and mastery.

Phono-semantic compound consisting of:

彡 (터럭 삼) — semantic component, meaning “pattern,” “lines,” or “decorative strokes,” often related to artistic or ornamental texture.

周 (두루 주) — phonetic component, giving the sound jo (조) and suggesting “to go around,” “complete,” or “surround,” evoking the notion of encompassing detail.

Together, 彫 depicts a detailed and circular carving or patterned engraving, symbolizing the completion of beauty through deliberate shaping.

彫刻 (조각) — carving; sculpture; engraving

雕彫 (조조) — carved and sculpted; beautifully ornamented

彫琢 (조탁) — carving and polishing; literary refinement

彫塑 (조소) — sculpture, modeling

彫花 (조화) — carved flower patterns

彫飾 (조식) — ornamental design; decoration

彫版 (조판) — woodblock printing; carved plates

彫梁畫棟 (조량화동) — richly carved beams and painted rafters (ornate architecture)

In ancient China, 彫 referred both to literal carving (especially in jade, bronze, or wood) and to literary artistry — the careful shaping of words and ideas, as a craftsman carves form into matter.

「文者，彫心鏤骨之事也。」

“Writing is the art of carving the heart and engraving the bones” — Han Yu (韓愈).

The pairing of 彫 and 琢 (polish) became a literary idiom — 彫琢, meaning “to carve and refine,” symbolizing the perfection of art, virtue, and scholarship.

In Confucian aesthetics, 彫 implies that beauty arises not from natural abundance but from disciplined transformation — the shaping of raw nature into culture (文).

「天生質樸，人事彫琢。」

“Heaven gives rough material; human effort carves and refines it.”

In Buddhist and Daoist symbolism, 彫 also reflects impermanence — what is carved and made beautiful eventually fades or erodes, reminding one that form is transient and emptiness is eternal.

「彫華雖盛，終歸於朽。」

“Though the carved flower blooms splendidly, it too returns to decay.”

彫 represents the art of transformation — the bridge between raw substance and refined form.

It honors human creativity: the ability to bring meaning, beauty, and precision from formless material.

Yet it also reminds that what is finely carved is still impermanent.

The work of the craftsman — like life itself — is beautiful not because it endures, but because it was made with intention.

「巧手彫心，形盡而意存。」

“The skillful hand carves the heart; when the form fades, the spirit remains.”

Thus, 彫 is not only about carving matter — it is about engraving meaning upon the world, leaving traces of spirit in the texture of form.