To Carve Something
To Engrave Something
transitive verb, godan verb
Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means carve and the verb version is to carve something, or to engrave something.
This is a transitive verb, meaning it can take a direct object. You engrave letters into a stone, and you carve a scary face into a pumpkin. Those letters and that face are your objects.
Imagine trying to carve something using a hoe (ほ). Its long handle makes it a pretty impractical tool for carving. Now imagine all the trouble you have carving with it.
その石には仏像が彫ってありました。
There was an image of Buddha carved into the stone.
この由緒ある神社の前には、白鳥が彫られた門がある。
In front of this historic shrine, there's a gate with a swan carved on it.
工場で、彫刻機を使って文字を彫る仕事を担当しています。
At the factory, I'm in charge of engraving text using an engraving machine.