刀

dāo

HSK 4

刀 — dāo

1. knife; blade; single-edged sword; cutlass

   他用刀切菜。 tāyòng dāo qiècài — He uses a knife to chop vegetables.

2. (slang, loanword) dollar

   这件衬衫十刀，便宜吧？ zhèjiàn chènshān shídāo piányi ba — This shirt is ten dollars, cheap, right?

3. classifier for sets of one hundred sheets (of paper)

   一刀复印纸有一百张。 yīdāo fùyìnzhǐ yǒu yìbǎizhāng — One pack (dao) of photocopy paper has 100 sheets.

4. classifier for knife cuts or stabs

   他胸口中了三刀，已经送医。 tā xiōngkǒu zhōng le sāndāo yǐjīng sòngyī — He received three stab wounds to the chest and has been taken to the hospital.

5. (Internet slang) to bargain; to ask for a small discount (esp. on second-hand marketplaces)

   这本书可以刀吗？ zhè běnshū kěyǐ dāo ma — Can you give a discount on this book?

6. Surname Dao

   刀先生来自四川。 dāo xiānshēng láizì sìchuān — Mr. Dao comes from Sichuan.