枷锁

枷鎖

jiāsuǒ

noun #15,391

Meanings

1 shackles; fetters
2 chains (literal and figurative)

Characters

cangue (wooden collar for prisoners)

Examples

HSK 5

她终于挣脱了旧观念的枷锁。

Tā zhōngyú zhēngtuō le jiù guānniàn de jiāsuǒ.

She finally broke free from the shackles of old ideas.

HSK 7-9

封建礼教是束缚女性的枷锁。

Fēngjiàn lǐjiào shì shùfù nǚxìng de jiāsuǒ.

Feudal moral codes were shackles that bound women.

Tips

history

枷 is a wooden cangue (board locked around a prisoner's neck) and 锁 is a metal lock/chain. Together they represent punishment instruments from imperial China. Now overwhelmingly used figuratively for any oppressive constraint.

Stroke Order

枷 jiā

锁 suǒ