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枷锁 (jiā suǒ) — (noun) ancient instrument of torture, the cangue and lock; (noun, fig.) something that binds or restricts one's freedom or development

Definition

Literally the wooden cangue and lock used to restrain prisoners in ancient China; in modern usage it means 'shackles' — anything (a system, idea, or relationship) that binds a person's freedom or growth. Almost always figurative today.

noun
ancient instrument of torturethe cangue and lock(noun, fig.) something that binds or restricts one's freedom or development

Examples

  • ，枷锁。
    Zài gǔ dài, fàn rén bèi dài shàng chén zhòng de jiā suǒ.
    In ancient times, prisoners were put into heavy cangues and locks.
  • 枷锁。
    Sī xiǎng de jiā suǒ xū yào kào jiào yù hé fǎn sī lái dǎ pò.
    Mental shackles need to be broken through education and reflection.
  • 枷锁，。
    Tā zhōng yú zhèng tuō le jiā tíng de jiā suǒ, zhuī qiú zì jǐ de mèng xiǎng.
    She finally broke free from the shackles of family and pursued her own dreams.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

枷jiācangue
锁suǒchains

枷 'cangue' and 锁 'chains' pair to mean fetters or restraints.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 枷 →

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 鎖; 锁 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
𧴪
𧴪𧴪鎖suǒ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 鎖 pairs 金 (metal) with a sound component, 𧴪; the simplified 锁 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the original parts.

Open 锁 →
Appears in
Law & Justice

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