闸口 (zhá kǒu) — sluice gate | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

sluice gate

Measure word · 个

闸口。
Gōng rén men zhèng zài jiǎn chá zhá kǒu.
The workers are inspecting the sluice gate.
闸口。
Zhè ge zhá kǒu kě yǐ kòng zhì shuǐ liàng.
This sluice gate can control the water volume.
，闸口。
Bào yǔ hòu, zhá kǒu bì xū quán bù dǎ kāi.
After the heavy rain, the sluice gates must be fully opened.

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.

闸zhásluice gate

闸 gives the sluice gate, 口 the opening, together the sluice opening.

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 閘; 闸 is its simplified writing.

門甲閘

Meaning part形符xíngfú

門門méngate

Sound part声符shēngfú

甲

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 閘 pairs 門 (gate) with 甲, which gives the sound; the simplified 闸 is not the form described here.

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

The form 口 looks like an open mouth.