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插销 (chā xiāo) — bolt (for a door or window); electrical plug

Definition

插销 (chā xiāo) covers two concrete hardware senses: a door/window bolt and an electrical plug. In modern speech most learners will meet the plug sense (电源插销); the bolt sense is older and more regional.

noun
bolt (for a door or window)electrical plug
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 插销。
    Qǐng bǎ mén shàng de chā xiāo chā hǎo.
    Please fasten the bolt on the door.
  • 插销，。
    Zhè ge chā xiāo huài le, xū yào huàn yí gè xīn de.
    This plug is broken and needs to be replaced with a new one.
  • 插销。
    Tā yòng lì bá chū le chā xiāo.
    He pulled out the plug/bolt with force.

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.

插chāinsert
销xiāobolt

插 means inserting, and 销 means pin or bolt, so together they express a bolt for inserting.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 插 →

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 銷; 销 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
肖
肖xiào銷xiāo
Same sound today

The traditional form 銷 pairs 金 (metal) with 肖 as a sound part; simplified 销 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not historical components.

Open 销 →
Appears in
Everyday ObjectsHome & Housing

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