長針

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 長針 is read as ちょうしん and is a noun for the long hand of a clock, the minute hand.
• Basic usage: It is used when describing where that hand points or whether it moves, including when a clock is broken.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• What it identifies
  • In these clock contexts, it means the minute hand rather than just any long needle. Example: 時計の長針が十二を指している。
• As the subject
  • The form 長針が can make the minute hand the subject whose movement or condition is described. Example: 壊れた長針が動かなくなった。