铁桶 (tiě tǒng) — metal pail, bucket, or drum; (figurative) impenetrable defense or encirclement

Definition

Literally 'iron bucket' — a metal pail or drum. Figuratively, an airtight encirclement or impenetrable defense (like being sealed inside an iron barrel with no way out).

noun
metal pailbucketor drum(figurative) impenetrable defense or encirclement
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 铁桶。
    Tā bǎ shuǐ dào jìn yí gè tiě tǒng lǐ.
    He poured the water into a metal bucket.
  • 铁桶，。
    Dí rén de bāo wéi xiàng tiě tǒng yí yàng, wǒ men hěn nán tū wéi.
    The enemy's encirclement was like an iron bucket — it was very hard for us to break out.
  • ，铁桶。
    Zhè zuò chéng shì de fáng shǒu gù ruò jīn tāng, jiǎn zhí shì tiě tǒng yì bān.
    This city's defense is as solid as gold — it's just like an iron bucket.

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.

铁tiěiron
桶tǒngbucket

铁 means iron and 桶 means bucket; together they picture a bucket made of iron, then a tightly sealed defense.

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 鐵; 铁 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢧤
𢧤𢧤鐵tiě
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 鐵 pairs 金 (metal) with 𢧤 as a sound part; the simplified 铁 is a later shorthand.

Open 铁 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùwood
Sound part声符shēngfú
甬
甬yǒng桶tǒng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The left part 木 shows wood, and the right part 甬 gives the sound.

Open 桶 →

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