carve

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 彫 has 11 strokes, the on-reading ちょう, and the kun-reading ほる. 彫る (ほる) means to carve or engrave wood or stone.
• Basic usage: 彫る describes the act of carving; 彫刻 (ちょうこく) can refer both to a sculpture and to the activity of carving.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Carving and a finished sculpture
  • 木の板に花の模様を彫った means carved a floral pattern into a wooden board. 石を彫って作った means made by carving stone.
  • 鳥をかたどった彫刻 means a bird-shaped sculpture. In 細かな模様を彫刻した, 彫刻 combines with した to describe the act of carving a delicate pattern.