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触角 (chù jiǎo) — antenna, feeler, tentacle (of an animal); (figurative) exploratory reach, feelers

Definition

Both the literal 'antenna/feeler' of an insect and a figurative 'feelers' — i.e., the exploratory reach an organization puts out to test new territory. Use 触角 for physical insect parts; metaphorical 伸出触角 means 'to put out feelers'.

noun
antennafeelertentacle (of an animal)(figurative) exploratory reachfeelers
Measure word · 对

Examples

  • 触角。
    Kūn chóng de chù jiǎo yòng lái gǎn zhī zhōu wéi huán jìng.
    Insects use their antennae to sense their surroundings.
  • 触角。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī de shāng yè chù jiǎo yǐ jīng yán shēn dào hǎi wài.
    This company's business tentacles have already extended overseas.
  • 触角，。
    Tā tōng guò shè jiāo méi tǐ shēn chū chù jiǎo, xún zhǎo hé zuò jī huì.
    He put out feelers through social media to look for collaboration opportunities.

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.

触chùtouch
角jiǎohorn

触 means touch and 角 means horn, naming an antenna-like organ used to feel.

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 觸; 触 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
角角jiǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
蜀
蜀shǔ觸chù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 觸 uses 角 for the meaning and 蜀 for the sound; the simplified 触 is a later shorthand.

Open 触 →

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

The form 角 is a picture of a horn.

Open 角 →
Appears in
Body PartsInsects

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