针头 (zhēn tóu) — syringe needle; pinhead (head of a pin)

Definition

noun

syringe needlepinhead (head of a pin)

Measure word · 个

针头。
Yī shēng huàn le yí gè xīn zhēn tóu.
The doctor changed a new syringe needle.
针头。
Bié zhēn de zhēn tóu hěn xiǎo.
The head of the safety pin is very small.
针头。
Dǎ zhēn qián yào jiǎn chá zhēn tóu shì fǒu gān jìng.
Before getting an injection, check if the needle is clean.

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.

针 is needle and 头 is tip, together meaning the point of a needle.

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 針; 针 is its simplified writing.

釒十針

Meaning part形符xíngfú

釒Written in full as金jīnmetal

Sound part声符shēngfú

十

十shí針zhēn

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

The traditional form 針 puts 釒, the metal side, beside 十, which gives the sound; 针 is a simplified shorthand.

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 頭; 头 is its simplified writing.

豆頁頭

Meaning part形符xíngfú

頁頁yèhead

Sound part声符shēngfú

豆

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 頭 shows 頁, meaning head, beside 豆 as a sound component; the simplified 头 is a later shorthand.

Appears in