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挂号 (guà hào) — to register (at a hospital or clinic before seeing a doctor); to send by registered mail

Definition

挂号 covers two specific register-style actions: getting a hospital appointment and sending registered mail. Less general than 登记 or 注册 (registering an account, business, etc.).

verb
to register (at a hospital or clinic before seeing a doctor)to send by registered mail

Examples

  • 挂号，。
    Wǒ xiān qù guà hào, rán hòu zài kàn yī shēng.
    I'll go register first, then see the doctor.
  • 挂号。
    Zhè fēng xìn qǐng yòng guà hào jì.
    Please send this letter by registered mail.
  • 。
    Wǒ yǐ jīng guà le yí gè hào.
    I already registered for one appointment.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

挂guàhang/register
号hàonumber

挂 and 号 combine the idea of taking a number, meaning registering at a clinic or sending registered mail.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 掛; 挂 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
⺘Written in full as手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
卦
卦guà掛guà
Same sound today

In the traditional form 掛, the hand part ⺘ and the sound part 卦 show hooking or hanging something with the hand; this form was originally a popular form of 挂.

Open 挂 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 口口kǒumouth
  • 丂丂kǎoexhaled air; a tiger's cry

The shape 号 comes from 口, a mouth, and 丂, exhaled air or a tiger's cry.

Open 号 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 5

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