锁头 (suǒ tóu) — (colloquial) lock (the device used to secure a door, drawer, etc.)

Definition

Colloquial spoken term for a padlock-style lock (the device, not the act of locking). Less formal than 锁, which also means 'lock' but is more neutral and broader (e.g., door locks, locks of hair).

noun
(colloquial) lock (the device used to secure a door, drawer, etc.)
Measure word · 把

Examples

  • 锁头，。
    Zhè bǎ suǒ tóu huài le, xū yào huàn yí gè xīn de.
    This lock is broken; we need to replace it with a new one.
  • 锁头。
    Tā yòng suǒ tóu bǎ zì xíng chē suǒ zài lán gān shàng.
    He used a lock to secure his bike to the railing.
  • 锁头，。
    Bié wàng le dài suǒ tóu, chū mén qián jì de suǒ mén.
    Don't forget to bring the lock, and remember to lock the door before leaving.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

锁suǒlock
头tóusuffix

锁 names the lock, and 头 adds a familiar everyday form.

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 鎖; 锁 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal
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.

Open 锁 →

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
豆
豆dòu頭tóu
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.

Open 头 →

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