针孔 (zhēn kǒng) — pinhole; needle hole

Definition

noun

pinholeneedle hole

Measure word · 个

针孔。
Tā yòng zhēn zài zhǐ shàng zhā le yí gè zhēn kǒng.
He pricked a pinhole in the paper with a needle.
针孔，。
Zhè ge zhēn kǒng tài xiǎo le, guāng xiàn jī hū tòu bú guò qù.
This pinhole is too small; light can barely pass through.
针孔。
Xiàng jī lì yòng zhēn kǒng chéng xiàng de yuán lǐ.
Cameras use the principle of pinhole imaging.

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 (needle) and 孔 (hole) together mean the small hole made by 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.

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

孔 pairs 丿 (an opening) with 子 (a child), showing an opening in a newborn's skull.

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