指南针
zhǐ nán zhēn · HSK 7
compass
🧭 指南针 = point + south + needle: the needle that points south
Breaks into 指 zhǐ (point) + 南 nán (south) + 针 zhēn (needle). Chinese tradition names the compass for pointing south, not north, so it is literally the south-pointing needle.
指 — hand radical 扌 + 旨 (zhǐ, phonetic)
指 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 gives the meaning — something done with the hand, namely pointing with a finger. 旨 supplies the sound 'zhǐ'. From 'finger' it naturally extended to the verb 'to point' and figurative senses like 'to indicate' or 'to refer to'.
南 — 十 ten + 冂 enclosure + 丷 + 干
Originally a pictograph of a bronze bell or musical instrument hung on a frame, used in southern regional rites. Through phonetic loan, the character came to mean 'south' — the direction one faces when seated as ruler in ancient China. The original 'bell' meaning was lost.
针 — metal radical 钅 + 十 (ten, phonetic)
针 means 'needle.' The metal radical 钅 (simplified from 金) shows the needle is made of metal, while 十 originally hinted at the sound. The traditional form 針 uses 咸-like phonetic 咸→ actually 十 served as a simplified phonetic. Over time it came to mean needle, pin, or injection.