刀
dāo · HSK 3
knife
🔪 Pictograph of a single-edged blade with curved handle; 'dāo' rhymes with 'ow'
刀 is one of the oldest pictographs — the stroke curves like the back of a blade with a short handle. The 'ow' rhyme links the sound to what a knife causes. Appears as the radical 刂 on the right side of cutting-related characters.
刀 — single-component pictograph 刀 (knife/blade)
刀 is a pictograph of a single-edged knife or blade, with the curved stroke depicting the back of the blade and the hook representing the handle. Ancient bronze and oracle-bone forms clearly show a side view of a knife. It still means 'knife' today and serves as a radical in many cutting-related characters.