针 (zhēn) · needle; pin

Measure Word

一根针 gēn

Meanings

1 needle; pin
2 injection; shot
3 stitch

Characters

针

zhēn

needle; injection

钅 (metal) + 十 (ten) - a thin metal point.

Examples

HSK 2

医生给他打了一针。

Yīshēng gěi tā dǎ le yī zhēn.

The doctor gave him an injection.

HSK 5

这根针太细了。

Zhè gēn zhēn tài xì le.

This needle is too thin.

HSK 7-9

我需要一根针来缝衣服。

Wǒ xūyào yī gēn zhēn lái féng yīfu.

I need a needle to sew clothes.

Tips

usage

打针 = to give or get an injection. 针灸 = acupuncture. 针 is also a measure word for injections: 打了三针 (got three shots).

culture

针灸 (acupuncture) is one of the pillars of traditional Chinese medicine, using thin needles at specific body points to treat various conditions.

Components

radical

钅 jīn

metal; gold (left-side form of 金)

Metal radical on the left - the side-form of 金. Indexes 针 in the metalwork family alongside 银 silver, 钢 steel, 铁 iron, 钉 nail, 钩 hook. A needle is a thin shaft of metal, so the radical does the heavy semantic lifting here.

semantic

十 shí

ten; vertical-and-cross shape

Right side is 十, simplified from the older 鍼 / 針 phonetic 咸 in the 1956 reform. The cross-shape graphically suggests the slim, straight body of a needle with a head at top. Functions as a visual mnemonic rather than a true phonetic - shí does not give the sound zhēn.