锁眼 (suǒ yǎn) — keyhole

Definition

noun
keyhole
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 锁眼，。
    Zhè ge suǒ yǎn tài xiǎo le, yào shi chā bú jìn qù.
    This keyhole is too small; the key won't go in.
  • 锁眼。
    Tā zài suǒ yǎn lǐ kàn dào le yí shù guāng.
    He saw a beam of light through the keyhole.
  • 锁眼。
    Qǐng bǎ yào shi duì zhǔn suǒ yǎn zài zhuǎn.
    Please align the key with the keyhole and then turn it.

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.

锁suǒlock
眼yǎneye

锁 is the lock, and 眼 is its eye, giving the keyhole.

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 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 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
目目mùeye
Sound part声符shēngfú
艮
艮gèn眼yǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

眼 combines 目, which is an eye, with 艮, which gives the character's sound.

Open 眼 →

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