Definitions

cáo trough; manger; groove; channel; (Tw) (computing) hard drive

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character 槽, formed by the wood radical and the phonetic component 曹, originally designated a wooden trough used for animal feed or water conveyance. Its semantic scope widened over time to include any narrow depression or channel, thereby encompassing mechanical slots and metaphorical extensions like allocated time periods. This progression from a concrete object to a broader functional term demonstrates how the character's meaning evolved while its structural integrity remained consistent.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

妈妈在清洗水

Māma zài qīngxǐ shuǐcáo.

Mom is cleaning the sink.

里有很多水。

Shuǐcáo lǐ yǒu hěnduō shuǐ.

There is a lot of water in the sink.

我的牙有点疼。

Wǒ de cáoyá yǒudiǎn téng.

My molar hurts a little.

他经常吐电影。

Tā jīngcháng tùcáo diànyǐng.

He often criticizes movies.

这个机器有一个

Zhège jīqì yǒu yīgè cáo.

This machine has a slot.

工人正在安装新的水

Gōngrén zhèngzài ānzhuāng xīn de shuǐcáo.

The worker is installing a new sink.

生活中难免遇到点。

Shēnghuó zhōng nánmiǎn yùdào cáodiǎn.

In life, it's inevitable to encounter points of criticism.

设计师仔细考虑了水的尺寸和位置,以确保厨房布局合理。

Shèjìshī zǐxì kǎolǜle shuǐcáo de chǐcùn hé wèizhì, yǐ quèbǎo chúfáng bùjú hélǐ.

The designer carefully considered the size and location of the sink to ensure a reasonable kitchen layout.