横杆 (héng gān) — crossbar; horizontal bar; rail

Definition

noun

crossbarhorizontal barrail

Measure word · 根

横杆。
Tǐ cāo yùn dòng yuán zài héng gān shàng zuò le gè piào liang de fān zhuǎn.
The gymnast did a beautiful flip on the horizontal bar.
横杆，。
Zhè shàn mén de héng gān yǒu xiē sōng dòng, xū yào jiā gù.
The crossbar of this door is a bit loose and needs to be reinforced.
横杆。
Yáng tái de héng gān shàng guà mǎn le liàng shài de yī wù.
The balcony rail is covered with clothes hanging out to dry.

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.

横hénghorizontal

横 gives the horizontal direction, and 杆 is a bar or pole.

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 橫; 横 is its simplified writing.

木黃橫

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùwood

Sound part声符shēngfú

黃

黃huáng橫héng

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

The traditional form 橫 has 木, meaning wood, beside 黃, which supplies the sound; the simplified 横 is a later abbreviation.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

木干杆

Meaning part形符xíngfú

木木mùtree

Sound part声符shēngfú

干

Same sound today

杆 pairs 木 (tree) with 干, which gives the sound. The 木 part shows the thing is made of wood.