挂钩

掛鉤

guàgōu

verb HSK 7-9 #26,350

Meanings

1 to link; to be connected to
2 to peg (wages to inflation, etc.)

Characters

to hang; to hook onto

Literally 'hang on a hook' - two things linked together, like train cars coupling.

Examples

工资应该和物价挂钩。

Gōngzī yīnggāi hé wùjià guàgōu.

Wages should be pegged to prices.

这两件事没有挂钩。

Zhè liǎng jiàn shì méiyǒu guàgōu.

These two matters are not connected.

Tips

usage

挂钩 originally meant coupling train carriages. Now it's mostly used figuratively: linking pay to performance (绩效挂钩), tying policy to outcomes. Also used as a noun for a literal hook/hanger on the wall.

Stroke Order

挂 guà

钩 gōu