(hé zi) - box, small case in Mandarin
héziTraditional: 盒子
Translation
box, small case
Word origin
盒 (hé) is a lidded vessel, written with 皿 (mǐn, dish) under 合 (hé, to close, also the sound); 子 is the noun suffix that turns it into an everyday object.
- Origin
- compound
- Root
- 盒 (hé, lidded vessel) + 子 (zi, noun suffix)
Stroke order
盒
子
Examples
。
There is a small box on the table.
。
Please open the box.
。
This box is empty inside.
。
She put the letter into the box.
。
That red box is mine.
盒子 (hé zi) is a box: the small, lidded kind you keep things in, not a cardboard shipping crate. A shoebox, a jewellery box, a lunch box.
The 子 on the end is the giveaway that this is the ordinary spoken noun. Drop it and 盒 becomes a measure word instead, so 一盒巧克力 is a box of chocolates while 一个盒子 is one box, empty or not. Learners who reach for 一个盒子巧克力 have merged the two.
For anything big enough to climb into, Chinese usually says 箱子 (xiāng zi) instead. Suitcase, packing case, shipping crate: 箱子. Anything that sits in your hand: 盒子.
Where this fits
Used in
Stories
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盒子: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "盒子" (box, small case): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 48.