轴心 (zhóu xīn) — axle center, central shaft of a wheel or machine; axis (political or conceptual center)

Definition

Literal sense: the central shaft a wheel turns on (e.g., 车轮轴心坏了). Figurative: the conceptual or political "axis" a group or system revolves around (轴心国 = the Axis powers).

noun
axle center, central shaft of a wheel or machineaxis (political or conceptual center)

Examples

  • 轴心，。
    Chē lún de zhóu xīn huài le, xū yào huàn yí gè.
    The axle center of the wheel is broken and needs to be replaced.
  • 轴心。
    Zhè ge dì qū shì gǔ dài wén míng de zhóu xīn zhī yī.
    This region was one of the axes of ancient civilization.
  • ，。
    Èr zhàn qī jiān, zhóu xīn guó yǔ tóng méng guó jìn xíng le jī liè zhàn dòu.
    During WWII, the Axis powers fought fierce battles against the Allies.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

轴zhóuaxle
心xīncenter

The sense of 轴 axle joins with 心 center to name the axle center or axis.

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 軸; 轴 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcart, carriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
由
由yóu軸zhóu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 軸 pairs 車 (cart) with a part that gives the sound, 由; it pictures an axle passing through a cartwheel. The simplified 轴 is a later abbreviation.

Open 轴 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 心 comes from a drawing of a heart, now highly stylized.

Open 心 →

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