挂钩
guà goū · HSK 7
to link together
🪝 挂 (hang) + 钩 (hook) = hang-hook, a hook to hang things on
挂 means to hang or suspend; 钩 means hook. Together they literally name the object (a hook) and extend metaphorically to coupling, linking, or making contact — like hooking two things together.
挂 — hand radical 扌 + 圭 (jade tablet, phonetic)
挂 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 gives the meaning, since hanging something requires the hand to place it on a hook or peg. The right side 圭 (guī, a jade tablet) supplies the sound, close to the modern reading guà. Originally written 掛, it meant to suspend or hang up.
钩 — metal radical 钅 + 句 (phonetic)
钩 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The metal radical 钅 (from 金) signals the meaning — a metal implement — while 句 gives the sound. It originally referred to a hook or curved metal tool, and the meaning extended to anything hook-shaped or the action of hooking.