锁 (suǒ) · lock; padlock

Measure Word

一把锁 bǎ

Meanings

1 lock; padlock
2 to lock; to lock up

Characters

锁

suǒ

lock; to lock up

Examples

HSK 3

这把锁坏了，打不开。

Zhè bǎ suǒ huài le, dǎ bù kāi.

This lock is broken and won't open.

HSK 3

他把自行车锁好了。

Tā bǎ zìxíngchē suǒ hǎole.

He locked up his bicycle.

HSK 4

门锁了，你有钥匙吗？

Ménsuǒ le, nǐ yǒu yàoshi ma?

The door is locked - do you have a key?

Tips

usage

锁 works as both noun (a lock) and verb (to lock). 锁门 = lock the door. 开锁 = unlock. 上锁 = to padlock/secure with a lock.

usage

锁定 = to lock onto / lock in (also used for phone screens). 解锁 = to unlock (physical or digital). 密码锁 = combination lock.

Components

radical

钅 jīn

metal; gold (radical form)

Left metal radical - simplified side-form of 金, indexing radical. Marks 锁 as a metal object: locks, chains, padlocks were forged hardware. Same family as 钱 (money/coins), 钉 (nail), 钥 (key - literally the metal that opens 锁), 铁 (iron). Practical industrial radical.

semantic

⺌ xiǎo

small (top form)

Top of the right side - the "small" top-form (compressed 小). In 锁 it sits above 贝 as the residual upper portion of an older phonetic; the modern simplified character keeps these three short strokes as a graphic remnant rather than a true "small" meaning. Visual placeholder linking to other right-stack characters.

phonetic

贝 bèi

shell; cowrie; money

Bottom right 贝 - historically part of the phonetic stack giving 锁 its sound (suǒ; the older traditional phonetic was simplified by compression). Cowrie shells were ancient currency, valuable enough to lock away - a happy mnemonic: precious shells (贝) under metal (钅), guarded behind a small gate (⺌).