码头
mǎtóu · HSK 5
pier
⚓ 码头 = 码 (numbers/code, here measure) + 头 (head) = numbered head of the dock
码 originally meant a measure or marker (think yardage), and 头 means head or end. Together: the marked end of the water — the pier or wharf where ships tie up and cargo is counted.
码 — stone radical 石 + 马 (mǎ, horse, phonetic)
码 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The stone radical 石 hints at the original meaning: a small stone or weight used for counting or measuring. 马 supplies the sound mǎ. Over time the meaning broadened to 'numeral, code, yard (unit),' as in 号码 (number) and 密码 (password).
头 — 页 (head/page) + 豆 (bean, phonetic)
The traditional form 頭 combines 頁 (xié), meaning 'head', with 豆 (dòu) as the phonetic component. 頁 itself originally depicted a person with an emphasized head. The simplified form 头 is a modern shorthand that replaces 豆+頁 with a simpler shape while keeping the same meaning of 'head' or 'top'.