钉 (dìng) — to nail, to pin, to staple (fasten by driving a pointed object); to sew on (e.g., a button)
Definition
钉 (dìng) is the verb 'to fasten with a sharp object' — driving in a nail, stapling, or sewing on (a button). Distinct from the noun 针 ('needle'), which is the tool itself.
verb
to nailto pinto staple (fasten by driving a pointed object)to sew on (e.g., a button)
Examples
- 钉。Qǐng bǎ zhè zhāng huà dìng zài qiáng shàng.Please nail this painting to the wall.
- 钉。Tā yòng dìng shū jī bǎ wén jiàn dìng zài yì qǐ.He stapled the documents together.
- 钉。Mā ma bāng wǒ bǎ kòu zi dìng shàng le.Mom helped me sew on the button.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 釘; 钉 is its simplified writing.
The traditional 釘 pairs 金 (metal) with 丁 for sound; some theorize 丁 originally meant “nail,” so 釘 was created to write that word with metal added. The simplified 钉 is a shorthand.
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