chopstick

Everyday

A chopstick is one of a pair of thin sticks used to pick up and eat food, mainly in East Asian countries like China, Japan and Korea. tree →

In the lessons

Everyday and manners: chopsticks are used in Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese meals and are popular in restaurants everywhere. Holding them takes practice: one stays still, one moves. Manners: in many East Asian cultures, it is rude to stick chopsticks straight up in a bowl of rice or to point and wave with them. In design lessons, chopsticks are a simple tool that works like a lever. Phrases: «a pair of chopsticks», «eat with chopsticks», «use chopsticks».

Examples

• I can pick up noodles with chopsticks. tree →
• Could I have a pair of chopsticks, please? tree →
• Hold one chopstick still and move the other. tree →
• Don't stick your chopsticks upright in your rice. tree →
• We ate sushi with chopsticks. tree →
• Chopsticks can be made of wood, bamboo, metal or plastic. tree →
• My little brother uses training chopsticks. tree →
• I dropped a chopstick on the floor. tree →
• The dishes were crystallized lotus leaves and flowers, and the chopsticks were of the rarest ebony. tree →

Note

Usually used in the plural: «chopsticks», «a pair of chopsticks». One word, no space. Do not say «a chopsticks»; say «a pair of chopsticks» or «a chopstick».