枢 (shū) — pivot (central turning point); hub, center (of a system or organization)
Definition
枢 (shū) is a bound form meaning 'hub / pivot' — the central turning point of a system. It almost always appears as part of compounds like 枢纽 ('hub, junction') or 中枢 ('center, nerve center'), never on its own.
bound form
pivot (central turning point)hubcenter (of a system or organization)
Easily confused
- 抠kōulook-alike(verb) to pick (with fingers), to dig out, to scratch
- 书shūsound-alikebook
- 呕ǒulook-alikeirritated, annoyed (as a bound form, usually in compounds)
- 输shūsound-aliketo lose (a competition, game, or argument)
- 讴ōulook-alike(bound form, literary) to sing, to eulogize; a ballad or folk song
- 梳shūsound-aliketo comb (hair)
Examples
- 。Zhè ge chéng shì shì quán guó de jiāo tōng shū niǔ.This city is the transportation hub of the whole country.
- 。Dà nǎo shì shén jīng xì tǒng de zhōng shū.The brain is the center of the nervous system.
- 枢。shū Zhóu zhuàn dòng shí dài dòng le zhěng gè jī qì.When the pivot shaft rotates, it drives the entire machine.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 樞; 枢 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
區
區qū樞⁰shū
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 樞 combines 木 (wood) with 區 for the sound; the simplified 枢 is a shorthand, and its right side is not the historical component.
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