鎖 meaning and stroke order
Lock, padlock; chains, shackles
How to write 鎖, stroke by stroke
18 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 鎖
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to lock; to lock up
- a lock (CL:把[ba3])
How 鎖 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Metal.
釒 gives the meaning and ⺌ hints at the sound.
Radical: 釒 (gold), shared by 135 characters on this site.
How to remember 鎖
鎖 has the metal radical 釒 on the left, so think of a metal object. On the right, small marks ⺌ sit on top of 貝 (shell, old money), like a metal lock guarding your valuables.
鎖 (suǒ) works as a noun, a lock, and as a verb, to lock. The measure word for a lock is 把 (bǎ). Example: 出門前別忘了鎖門。(Chū mén qián bié wàng le suǒ mén.) Don't forget to lock the door before you go out.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 鎖 (suǒ) with 銷 (xiāo, to melt or sell), since both have 釒 on the left. Check the right side: 鎖 has 貝 under the small marks, while 銷 has 肖. Also keep the third tone in suǒ, not suō.
Common words with 鎖
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 封鎖 | fēngsuǒ | to blockade; to seal off | HSK 7-9 |
| 鎖定 | suǒdìng | to lock (a door); to close with a latch | HSK 7-9 |
| 連鎖 | liánsuǒ | to interlock; to be linked | HSK 7-9 |
| 連鎖店 | liánsuǒdiàn | chain store | HSK 7-9 |
| 拉鎖 | lāsuǒ | zipper | HSK 7-9 |
| 鎖上 | suǒshàng | to lock; to lock up | |
| 門鎖 | ménsuǒ | door lock | |
| 鎖門 | suǒmén | to lock the door | |
| 上鎖 | shàngsuǒ | to lock; to be locked | |
| 鎖鏈 | suǒliàn | chains; shackles | |
| 枷鎖 | jiāsuǒ | stocks and chain; in fetters | |
| 鎖匙 | suǒchí | (dialect) key; Taiwan pr. [suo3 shi5] | |
| 開鎖 | kāisuǒ | to unlock | |
| 解鎖 | jiěsuǒ | to unlock; to release |
Questions about 鎖
How many strokes are in 鎖?
鎖 is written with 18 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 鎖 mean?
鎖 (suǒ) means lock, padlock; chains, shackles. A common word with it is 封锁 (fēngsuǒ), meaning "to blockade; to seal off".
How do you pronounce 鎖?
鎖 is pronounced suǒ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 鎖?
The radical of 鎖 is 釒, which carries the idea of "gold". Dictionaries list 鎖 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 鎖?
鎖 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 锁, used in mainland China and Singapore.
How do I say 'to lock up' or 'locked' in Chinese?
Use 鎖上 (suǒshàng) for the action, as in 把門鎖上 (bǎ mén suǒshàng), lock the door. To say something is locked, say 鎖著 (suǒzhe) or 鎖住了 (suǒzhù le).
Why does 連鎖店 mean chain store?
鎖 also carries the sense of chains and links. 連鎖 (liánsuǒ) means linked together like a chain, so 連鎖店 (liánsuǒdiàn) is a store that is one link in a chain of stores.