旋钮 (xuán niǔ) — knob (e.g. on a device, radio, door) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

knob (e.g. on a device, radio, door)

Measure word · 个

Examples

旋钮，。
Qǐng bǎ xuán niǔ xiàng yòu xuán zhuǎn, yīn liàng jiù huì biàn dà.
Please turn the knob to the right, and the volume will increase.
旋钮。
Zhè ge xuán niǔ shì yòng lái tiáo jié wēn dù de.
This knob is used to adjust the temperature.
旋钮，。
Mén shàng de xuán niǔ sōng le, xū yào níng jǐn.
The knob on the door is loose and needs to be tightened.

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.

旋 describes turning, and 钮 is a knob, so it is a knob that turns.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

㫃㫃㫃flag
止止zhǐfoot
〇〇língcircle

旋 combines 㫃 (a flag), 止 (a foot), and 〇 (a circle), and 〇 also gave the sound.

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 鈕; 钮 is its simplified writing.

金丑鈕

Meaning part形符xíngfú

金金jīnmetal

Sound part声符shēngfú

丑

丑chǒu鈕niǔ

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

The traditional form 鈕 pairs 金 (metal) with 丑, which gives the sound; the simplified 钮 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

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