玄翁げんのう

げ

ん

の

う

Meanings

noun

sledgehammer

A heavy hammer with a long handle, used for striking or driving stakes. The kanji 玄翁 is the most common spelling.

大だい工くさんが玄翁げんのうで杭くいを打うち込こんでいる。
The carpenter is driving a stake with a sledgehammer.

Kanji

玄mysterious, occultness, black
能ability, talent, skill
翁venerable old man

Related words

ハンマー
ハンマー is a general term for hammer, often smaller and used for nails or light work, while 玄翁 specifically refers to a large, heavy sledgehammer.
金かな槌づち
金槌 is a standard claw hammer or metal hammer, typically smaller and used for driving nails, unlike the heavy 玄翁.

Written forms

玄翁げんのうUsage67%
Standard kanji spelling for this word.
玄げん能のうUsage17%
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)
Ateji (phonetic) spelling; also encountered but less standard.
げんのうUsage17%
Kana spelling used when the kanji are not needed or for clarity.

Etymology

Named for the legendary Zen monk 玄翁, who was said to have shattered the lethal 殺生石 with a large hammer; his name subsequently became a term for this kind of hammer.