Tool Names in Traditional Chinese: 60+ Easy Workshop Words for Beginners

工具名稱 gōngjù míngchēng = tool names. Handy, practical, and slightly dangerous if you confuse a 螺絲起子 luósī qǐzi with a spoon. This guide gives you the workshop words you actually need, in Traditional Chinese, with pinyin and easy English meaning.

For the broader learning path, visit our parent guide.

If you have ever stood in a hardware store and pointed at something while hoping for the best, this article is for you. In Taiwan, people often use everyday workshop words in homes, repair shops, and DIY stores, so learning them pays off fast.

By the end, you will know the most common tool names, how to use them in real sentences, and a few Taiwan-friendly phrases that sound natural instead of textbook stiff. Nobody needs that kind of drama.

For a boring-but-useful reference on Mandarin vocabulary study, see the official-looking world of the Traditional Chinese Vocabulary Test and the TOCFL placement test.

Table of Contents

Quick Starter Tool Words

These are the first words most learners need. They show up in repair talk, home improvement, and all those moments when something needs tightening, cutting, or not falling apart.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
工具	gōngjù	tool	我去買一些工具。	Wǒ qù mǎi yìxiē gōngjù.	I’m going to buy some tools.
鎚子	chuízi	hammer	你有鎚子嗎？	Nǐ yǒu chuízi ma?	Do you have a hammer?
螺絲起子	luósī qǐzi	screwdriver	我需要一支螺絲起子。	Wǒ xūyào yì zhī luósī qǐzi.	I need a screwdriver.
扳手	bānshǒu	wrench	這個螺帽太緊了，拿扳手來。	Zhège luómào tài jǐn le, ná bānshǒu lái.	This nut is too tight, bring the wrench.
鉗子	qiánzi	pliers	鉗子在哪裡？	Qiánzi zài nǎlǐ?	Where are the pliers?
鋸子	jùzi	saw	他在用鋸子切木板。	Tā zài yòng jùzi qiē mùbǎn.	He is using a saw to cut the board.
鑽子	zuànzi	drill	我需要電鑽，不是手鑽。	Wǒ xūyào diànzuàn, bú shì shǒuzuàn.	I need an electric drill, not a hand drill.
尺	chǐ	ruler / measuring tool	先用尺量一下。	Xiān yòng chǐ liáng yíxià.	Measure it first with a ruler.

Useful Workshop Tools

Here is the bigger list. Some of these words are for serious workshop life; some are for “I found a random drawer and now I am curious” life.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
鎚子	chuízi	hammer	這把鎚子很重。	Zhè bǎ chuízi hěn zhòng.	This hammer is heavy.
鐵鎚	tiěchuí	metal hammer	鐵鎚比較適合釘釘子。	Tiěchuí bǐjiào shìhé dīng dīngzi.	A metal hammer is better for nails.
橡皮槌	xiàngpí chuí	rubber mallet	木頭不能敲太大力，可以用橡皮槌。	Mùtóu bùnéng qiāo tài dà lì, kěyǐ yòng xiàngpí chuí.	You can’t hit the wood too hard; use a rubber mallet.
螺絲起子	luósī qǐzi	screwdriver	這顆螺絲要用十字螺絲起子。	Zhè kē luósī yào yòng shízì luósī qǐzi.	This screw needs a Phillips screwdriver.
一字起子	yīzì qǐzi	flathead screwdriver	一字起子比較適合這種螺絲。	Yīzì qǐzi bǐjiào shìhé zhè zhǒng luósī.	A flathead screwdriver is better for this kind of screw.
十字起子	shízì qǐzi	Phillips screwdriver	你有十字起子嗎？	Nǐ yǒu shízì qǐzi ma?	Do you have a Phillips screwdriver?
內六角板手	nèi liùjiǎo bǎnshǒu	hex key / Allen wrench	這張椅子要用內六角板手。	Zhè zhāng yǐzi yào yòng nèi liùjiǎo bǎnshǒu.	This chair needs an Allen wrench.
扳手	bānshǒu	wrench	扳手太大了，換一個小一點的。	Bānshǒu tài dà le, huàn yí gè xiǎo yìdiǎn de.	The wrench is too big, switch to a smaller one.
活動扳手	huódòng bānshǒu	adjustable wrench	活動扳手可以調大小。	Huódòng bānshǒu kěyǐ tiáo dàxiǎo.	An adjustable wrench can change size.
鉗子	qiánzi	pliers	鉗子可以夾住電線。	Qiánzi kěyǐ jiā zhù diànxiàn.	Pliers can hold the wire.
尖嘴鉗	jiānzuǐ qián	needle-nose pliers	尖嘴鉗比較適合細小的地方。	Jiānzuǐ qián bǐjiào shìhé xìxiǎo de dìfang.	Needle-nose pliers are better for small spaces.
老虎鉗	lǎohǔ qián	locking pliers / heavy pliers	老虎鉗很適合夾緊東西。	Lǎohǔ qián hěn shìhé jiājǐn dōngxī.	Locking pliers are great for gripping things tightly.
鋸子	jùzi	saw	鋸子放在工具箱裡。	Jùzi fàng zài gōngjùxiāng lǐ.	The saw is in the toolbox.
手鋸	shǒujù	hand saw	我們先用手鋸切木頭。	Wǒmen xiān yòng shǒujù qiē mùtóu.	Let’s use a hand saw to cut the wood first.
美工刀	měigōng dāo	utility knife	小心，美工刀很利。	Xiǎoxīn, měigōng dāo hěn lì.	Careful, the utility knife is sharp.
剪刀	jiǎndāo	scissors	我拿剪刀剪膠帶。	Wǒ ná jiǎndāo jiǎn jiāodài.	I use scissors to cut tape.
捲尺	juǎnchǐ	tape measure	先用捲尺量一下長度。	Xiān yòng juǎnchǐ liáng yíxià chángdù.	First measure the length with a tape measure.
水平尺	shuǐpíng chǐ	level	這個架子要用水平尺確認。	Zhège jiàzi yào yòng shuǐpíng chǐ quèrèn.	This shelf needs to be checked with a level.
尺	chǐ	ruler	請用尺畫直線。	Qǐng yòng chǐ huà zhíxiàn.	Please use a ruler to draw a straight line.
鉛筆	qiānbǐ	pencil	先用鉛筆做記號。	Xiān yòng qiānbǐ zuò jìhào.	Mark it first with a pencil.
粉筆	fěnbǐ	chalk	工人用粉筆畫線。	Gōngrén yòng fěnbǐ huà xiàn.	The worker draws lines with chalk.
電鑽	diànzuàn	electric drill	這台電鑽很吵。	Zhè tái diànzuàn hěn chǎo.	This electric drill is noisy.
手鑽	shǒuzuàn	hand drill	手鑽比較慢，但是也能用。	Shǒuzuàn bǐjiào màn, dànshì yě néng yòng.	A hand drill is slower, but it still works.
砂紙	shāzhǐ	sandpaper	先用砂紙磨平表面。	Xiān yòng shāzhǐ mó píng biǎomiàn.	First smooth the surface with sandpaper.
螺帽	luómào	nut	這個螺帽鬆了。	Zhège luómào sōng le.	This nut is loose.
螺絲	luósī	screw	少了一顆螺絲。	Shǎo le yì kē luósī.	A screw is missing.
釘子	dīngzi	nail	牆上有一根釘子。	Qiáng shàng yǒu yì gēn dīngzi.	There is a nail on the wall.
膠帶	jiāodài	tape	先用膠帶固定。	Xiān yòng jiāodài gùdìng.	Fix it first with tape.
膠水	jiāoshuǐ	glue	這裡需要一點膠水。	Zhèlǐ xūyào yìdiǎn jiāoshuǐ.	This needs a little glue.
夾具	jiājù	clamp	夾具可以固定木板。	Jiājù kěyǐ gùdìng mùbǎn.	A clamp can hold the board in place.
刷子	shuāzi	brush	我需要刷子上漆。	Wǒ xūyào shuāzi shàng qī.	I need a brush for painting.
油漆刷	yóuqī shuā	paintbrush	這支油漆刷很軟。	Zhè zhī yóuqī shuā hěn ruǎn.	This paintbrush is soft.
梯子	tīzi	ladder	不要自己亂爬梯子。	Bú yào zìjǐ luàn pá tīzi.	Don’t climb the ladder carelessly.
安全帽	ānquánmào	helmet	施工時要戴安全帽。	Shīgōng shí yào dài ānquánmào.	Wear a helmet during construction.
工作手套	gōngzuò shǒutào	work gloves	戴工作手套比較安全。	Dài gōngzuò shǒutào bǐjiào ānquán.	Wearing work gloves is safer.
護目鏡	hùmùjìng	safety goggles	切東西時最好戴護目鏡。	Qiē dōngxī shí zuìhǎo dài hùmùjìng.	It’s best to wear safety goggles when cutting things.
工具箱	gōngjùxiāng	toolbox	工具箱在車庫裡。	Gōngjùxiāng zài chēkù lǐ.	The toolbox is in the garage.
工作台	gōngzuò tái	workbench	他在工作台上修東西。	Tā zài gōngzuò tái shàng xiū dōngxī.	He is fixing things on the workbench.
電動工具	diàndòng gōngjù	power tool	這些電動工具很方便。	Zhèxiē diàndòng gōngjù hěn fāngbiàn.	These power tools are very convenient.
手工具	shǒugōngjù	hand tool	手工具比較安靜。	Shǒugōngjù bǐjiào ānjìng.	Hand tools are quieter.
木板	mùbǎn	wood board	木板太長了。	Mùbǎn tài cháng le.	The board is too long.
鐵釘	tiědīng	iron nail	鐵釘放在盒子裡。	Tiědīng fàng zài hézi lǐ.	The nails are in the box.

Useful Phrases You Will Actually Hear

These phrases are the real-life stuff. If you can say these, you can survive most simple repair conversations without pantomime gymnastics.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	English Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
我需要……	wǒ xūyào……	I need…	我需要一把剪刀。	Wǒ xūyào yì bǎ jiǎndāo.	I need a pair of scissors.
你有嗎？	nǐ yǒu ma?	Do you have it?	你有電鑽嗎？	Nǐ yǒu diànzuàn ma?	Do you have a drill?
借我一下。	jiè wǒ yíxià.	Lend it to me for a moment.	可以借我一下扳手嗎？	Kěyǐ jiè wǒ yíxià bānshǒu ma?	Can you lend me the wrench for a moment?
先量一下。	xiān liáng yíxià.	Measure first.	先量一下再切。	Xiān liáng yíxià zài qiē.	Measure first, then cut.
小心一點。	xiǎoxīn yìdiǎn.	Be careful.	那把刀很利，小心一點。	Nà bǎ dāo hěn lì, xiǎoxīn yìdiǎn.	That knife is sharp, be careful.
鬆了。	sōng le.	It is loose.	這顆螺絲鬆了。	Zhè kē luósī sōng le.	This screw is loose.
太緊了。	tài jǐn le.	Too tight.	這個蓋子太緊了。	Zhège gàizi tài jǐn le.	This lid is too tight.
修好了。	xiū hǎo le.	It is fixed.	終於修好了。	Zhōngyú xiū hǎo le.	It’s finally fixed.
弄壞了。	nòng huài le.	Broke it / messed it up.	不要把這個弄壞了。	Bú yào bǎ zhège nòng huài le.	Don’t break this.
裝上去。	zhuāng shàng qù.	Put it on / install it.	先把螺絲裝上去。	Xiān bǎ luósī zhuāng shàng qù.	First put the screw in.
拆下來。	chāi xià lái.	Take it off / remove it.	這個零件要拆下來。	Zhège língjiàn yào chāi xiàlái.	This part needs to be removed.
固定住。	gùdìng zhù.	Hold it in place.	先把木板固定住。	Xiān bǎ mùbǎn gùdìng zhù.	First hold the board in place.
切開。	qiē kāi.	Cut open / cut apart.	用刀把盒子切開。	Yòng dāo bǎ hézi qiē kāi.	Use a knife to cut open the box.
磨平。	mó píng.	smooth down	先把表面磨平。	Xiān bǎ biǎomiàn mó píng.	First smooth the surface.
上漆。	shàng qī.	paint / apply paint	這張桌子還沒上漆。	Zhè zhāng zhuōzi hái méi shàng qī.	This table has not been painted yet.

One useful Taiwan note: people often say 螺絲起子 luósī qǐzi, while some dictionaries may also list 起子 qǐzi by itself. In daily life, the longer version is safer if you want to sound clear and avoid blank stares.

Another small thing: 一字起子 yīzì qǐzi is the flathead type, and 十字起子 shízì qǐzi is the Phillips type. The names come from the shape. Mandarin loves being practical when it feels like it.

For a general reference on tool terms, the most delightfully dull option is still Wikipedia’s tool entry. Boring, yes. Useful, also yes.

Tool Categories Made Simple

It helps to group tools by job. That way, your brain does not have to remember sixty random objects as if it is hoarding hardware in a tiny digital garage.

Category	Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example
Striking tools	鎚子、橡皮槌	chuízi, xiàngpí chuí	hammer, rubber mallet	鎚子用來敲釘子。
Turning tools	螺絲起子、扳手、活動扳手	luósī qǐzi, bānshǒu, huódòng bānshǒu	screwdriver, wrench, adjustable wrench	我先找扳手。
Gripping tools	鉗子、尖嘴鉗、老虎鉗	qiánzi, jiānzuǐ qián, lǎohǔ qián	pliers, needle-nose pliers, locking pliers	鉗子可以夾住小東西。
Cutting tools	鋸子、手鋸、美工刀、剪刀	jùzi, shǒujù, měigōng dāo, jiǎndāo	saw, hand saw, utility knife, scissors	小心刀很利。
Measuring tools	尺、捲尺、水平尺	chǐ, juǎnchǐ, shuǐpíng chǐ	ruler, tape measure, level	先量再做。
Power tools	電鑽、電動工具	diànzuàn, diàndòng gōngjù	electric drill, power tool	電鑽很方便。
Safety gear	安全帽、工作手套、護目鏡	ānquánmào, gōngzuò shǒutào, hùmùjìng	helmet, work gloves, goggles	安全第一。

Common Confusions

These are the little traps that trip up learners. Tiny traps, big annoyance. Very on-brand for language learning.

Tool / Phrase	Common Confusion	Easy Fix
螺絲起子 luósī qǐzi	Some learners say only 起子 and hope people guess.	Use the full phrase when talking about a screwdriver.
扳手 bānshǒu	Can be confused with similar wrench words in other Chinese varieties.	In Taiwan, 扳手 is the safe everyday choice.
尺 chǐ	Can mean ruler, measuring stick, or “inch-like” old measure in some contexts.	If you mean the classroom ruler, context is your friend.
鑽子 zuànzi	Sometimes used loosely, but can be vague.	Say 電鑽 for electric drill or 手鑽 for hand drill.
剪刀 jiǎndāo	People forget the measure word.	Use 一把剪刀 yì bǎ jiǎndāo.

Yak Wisdom: If you can name the tool, half the repair job is already less embarrassing.

Mini Practice

Try these quick drills. No pressure. Just enough pressure to make the words stick, which is much nicer than a loose screw.

Fill in the blank: 我需要一把 ______。
Answer: 鎚子 chuízi / 螺絲起子 luósī qǐzi / 鉗子 qiánzi
Translate into Chinese: “Do you have a tape measure?”
Answer: 你有捲尺嗎？ Nǐ yǒu juǎnchǐ ma?
Translate into English: 先量一下。 xiān liáng yíxià
Answer: Measure first.
Choose the right tool: To tighten a nut, use 扳手 bānshǒu or 剪刀 jiǎndāo?
Answer: 扳手 bānshǒu
Say it naturally: 這個螺絲鬆了。 zhège luósī sōng le
Meaning: This screw is loose.
Say it naturally: 小心一點。 xiǎoxīn yìdiǎn
Meaning: Be careful.

Measure Words For Tools

Measure words matter in Mandarin, and tools are no exception. Use these and you sound much more natural.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example
一把	yì bǎ	common for handheld tools with a handle	一把鎚子 yì bǎ chuízi
一支	yì zhī	common for pen-like items or slim tools	一支螺絲起子 yì zhī luósī qǐzi
一個	yí gè	general measure word, okay when unsure	一個工具箱 yí gè gōngjùxiāng
一台	yì tái	for machines	一台電鑽 yì tái diànzuàn
一套	yí tào	set	一套扳手 yí tào bānshǒu

Small note: 一 yī changes tone in real speech. Before a fourth tone, it often sounds like yí. So 一支 is usually yì zhī in careful speech patterns, but in fast conversation, tone sandhi can make it shift. Mandarin does this kind of thing to keep learners humble.

Extra Everyday Words Around The Workshop

These words are not always “tools” themselves, but they show up around tools, repair work, and DIY talk all the time.

Traditional Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
修理	xiūlǐ	to repair	我會修理這台椅子。	Wǒ huì xiūlǐ zhè tái yǐzi.	I can repair this chair.
維修	wéixiū	maintenance / repair	這台機器需要維修。	Zhè tái jīqì xūyào wéixiū.	This machine needs repair.
安裝	ānzhuāng	to install	我們今天安裝新架子。	Wǒmen jīntiān ānzhuāng xīn jiàzi.	We install the new shelf today.
零件	língjiàn	part / component	少了一個零件。	Shǎo le yí gè língjiàn.	A part is missing.
材料	cáiliào	material	木頭是主要材料。	Mùtóu shì zhǔyào cáiliào.	Wood is the main material.
木工	mùgōng	carpentry	他學過木工。	Tā xué guò mùgōng.	He studied carpentry.
施工	shīgōng	construction work	施工中，請勿靠近。	Shīgōng zhōng, qǐng wù kàojìn.	Under construction, please do not approach.
安全	ānquán	safety	安全最重要。	Ānquán zuì zhòngyào.	Safety is the most important.
固定	gùdìng	to secure / fix in place	先把它固定好。	Xiān bǎ tā gùdìng hǎo.	Secure it first.
組裝	zǔzhuāng	to assemble	這個書架很容易組裝。	Zhège shūjià hěn róngyì zǔzhuāng.	This bookshelf is easy to assemble.

If you are building home vocabulary too, the related guides House Vocab in Trad Chinese and Furniture Vocab in Trad Chinese are a very sensible next stop. Tools, houses, furniture: the holy trinity of “I should probably know this.”

Quick Reference Summary

工具 gōngjù = tool
鎚子 chuízi = hammer
螺絲起子 luósī qǐzi = screwdriver
扳手 bānshǒu = wrench
鉗子 qiánzi = pliers
鋸子 jùzi = saw
捲尺 juǎnchǐ = tape measure
電鑽 diànzuàn = electric drill
美工刀 měigōng dāo = utility knife
安全帽 ānquánmào = helmet
工作手套 gōngzuò shǒutào = work gloves
護目鏡 hùmùjìng = safety goggles

Want to test yourself? Try the basic words and phrases guide after this, then come back and see how many tool words you can remember without peeking. Suspiciously effective, that.

Yak Takeaway: Learn the tool words that match real life first—螺絲起子 luósī qǐzi, 扳手 bānshǒu, 鉗子 qiánzi, 捲尺 juǎnchǐ—and you will sound useful fast. A little workshop Mandarin goes a long way, especially when something needs fixing before it gets worse.