锁 (suǒ) — (noun) lock; (verb) to lock
Definition
锁 is a lock (noun) and to lock (verb) — a physical security device, not just 'close'. Unlike 关 (turn off / shut), 锁 emphasizes fastening something locked so it cannot be opened without a key.
noun
lock
verb
to lock
Measure word · 把
Examples
- 锁。Tā bǎ xiāng zi suǒ hǎo le.He locked the suitcase.
- 锁。Zhè bǎ suǒ hěn ān quán.This lock is very secure.
- 。Chū qù de shí hou jì de suǒ mén.Remember to lock the door when you go out.
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 鎖; 锁 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
𧴪
𧴪𧴪鎖suǒ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 鎖 pairs 金 (metal) with a sound component, 𧴪; the simplified 锁 is a shorthand, and its parts are not the original parts.
Appears in
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