针 (zhēn) — needle (sewing, pin); (medical) injection, shot; (surgical) stitch
Definition
针 is the everyday noun 'needle' — for sewing and for medical injections/stitches. Distinct from the verb 钉 (to nail / fasten with a pointed object); 注射 is the formal verb 'to inject'.
noun
needle (sewing, pin)(medical) injectionshot(surgical) stitch
Measure word · 根, 支
Examples
- 针，。Tā ná qǐ zhēn hé xiàn, kāi shǐ féng yī fu.She picked up the needle and thread and started sewing clothes.
- 。Gǎn mào le zuì hǎo qù yī yuàn dǎ yì zhēn.If you have a cold, it's best to go to the hospital for an injection.
- ，针。Tā shuāi dǎo hòu, tóu shàng fèng le sān zhēn.After he fell, he got three stitches on his head.
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 針; 针 is its simplified writing.
The traditional form 針 puts 釒, the metal side, beside 十, which gives the sound; 针 is a simplified shorthand.
Appears in
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