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梢 (sào) — rudder; helm

Definition

梢 (shāo) is a literary/literary-leaning word for the tip or top of a tree, or figuratively the end of something. In nautical use it means the rudder or helm (a 舵).

noun
rudderhelm
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 梢，。
    Tā zhǎng zhe sào, chuán wěn wěn de xiàng qián kāi.
    He steered the rudder, and the boat moved steadily forward.
  • 梢。
    Zhè tiáo chuán de sào xū yào xiū lǐ.
    The rudder of this boat needs repair.
  • 梢，。
    Lǎo sào gōng jīng yàn fēng fù, zài jí liú zhōng yě néng kòng zhì chuán zhī.
    The old helmsman was experienced and could control the boat even in rapids.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
肖
肖xiào梢shāo(r)
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part of 梢 is 木, a tree; the right part is 肖, which gives the sound.

Appears in
HSK 2.0 Level 6Boats & Water Travel

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