大头针 (dà tóu zhēn) — thumbtack, push pin

Definition

noun
thumbtackpush pin
Measure word · 颗

Examples

  • 大头针。
    Wǒ cóng wén jù diàn mǎi le yì hé dà tóu zhēn.
    I bought a box of thumbtacks from the stationery store.
  • 大头针。
    Tā bǎ dì tú yòng dà tóu zhēn gù dìng zài qiáng shàng.
    He fastened the map to the wall with thumbtacks.
  • ，大头针，。
    Xiǎo xīn, dì shàng yǒu dà tóu zhēn, bié cǎi dào.
    Be careful, there are thumbtacks on the floor, don't step on them.

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.

大头big head
大dàbig头tóuhead
偏正Modifier + head
针zhēnneedle

大头, a big head, combined with 针, a needle, names a pin with a broad head.

Characters in this word

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

The form 大 is a picture of a person standing and facing forward, not of someone stretching their arms.

Open 大 →

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 頭; 头 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
豆
豆dòu頭tóu
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 頭 shows 頁, meaning head, beside 豆 as a sound component; the simplified 头 is a later shorthand.

Open 头 →

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 針; 针 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
釒Written in full as金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
十
十shí針zhēn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 針 puts 釒, the metal side, beside 十, which gives the sound; 针 is a simplified shorthand.

Open 针 →

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