箱子 en 30 secondes
- A general noun for boxes, crates, and suitcases of various sizes.
- Commonly used with the measure word '个' (gè) or '只' (zhī).
- Essential for contexts involving travel, moving, and storage.
- Distinguished from 'hézi' (small box) by its larger size and utility.
The term 箱子 (xiāngzi) is a fundamental noun in the Chinese language, primarily referring to a container, box, or case used for storage or transport. At its core, the character 箱 consists of the bamboo radical (⺮) on top and the phonetic component xiāng (相) below. This etymological root reveals that historically, these containers were woven from bamboo, a material synonymous with durability and lightweight utility in ancient China. Today, the word has evolved to encompass a vast array of materials, from heavy-duty wooden crates to modern corrugated cardboard and high-tech polycarbonate suitcases.
- Physicality
- A three-dimensional object with a hollow interior, usually rectangular, designed to hold items securely.
- Versatility
- It can describe anything from a small jewelry box to a massive shipping container, though specific prefixes are often added for clarity.
- Semantic Range
- In daily life, it most frequently refers to a suitcase used for travel or a storage box found in a closet.
“请帮我把这个箱子搬到车上。” (Please help me move this box onto the car.)
Understanding 箱子 requires recognizing its ubiquity. In a Chinese household, you might find a 木箱 (wooden box) for heirlooms, a 纸箱 (cardboard box) from a recent delivery, or a 行李箱 (suitcase) ready for a trip. The suffix '子' is a common noun-forming suffix in Mandarin that neutralizes the tone and makes the word feel more grounded in colloquial speech. Without the '子', the word '箱' often acts as a bound morpheme in compound words like 冰箱 (refrigerator - literally 'ice box') or 信箱 (mailbox).
“这个箱子太沉了，我一个人搬不动。” (This box is too heavy; I can't move it by myself.)
- Materiality
- Modern usage includes plastic (塑料), metal (金属), and paper (纸).
- Function
- Used for protection, organization, and mobility of goods.
In a metaphorical sense, 箱子 can occasionally represent secrets or hidden history, much like the English 'trunk' or 'chest'. When someone 'opens a box' in a narrative context, they are often revealing something long forgotten. However, its primary function remains strictly utilitarian. Whether you are moving to a new apartment or packing for a vacation to Shanghai, the 箱子 is your most essential tool for organization.
Using 箱子 (xiāngzi) correctly involves mastering its associated measure words and verbs. Because it is a discrete, physical object, the most common measure word is 个 (gè), but for specific types like suitcases, 只 (zhī) is also frequently used in literature or southern dialects. When you are talking about a 'box of' something, 箱 itself becomes the measure word (e.g., 一箱苹果 - a box of apples).
- Common Verbs
- 搬 (bān): To move or carry a heavy box.
- 装 (zhuāng): To pack or fill a box.
- 开/关 (kāi/guān): To open or close a box.
- 锁 (suǒ): To lock a box.
“把衣服都装进箱子里。” (Pack all the clothes into the box.)
When describing the state of a box, you might use adjectives like 空的 (kōng de - empty), 满的 (mǎn de - full), or 结实的 (jiēshi de - sturdy). If you are at an airport, you will likely hear the term 托运行李箱 (tuōyùn xínglǐxiāng), which refers to checked luggage. In a warehouse or during a move, you'll deal with 纸箱 (cardboard boxes). The flexibility of the word allows it to adapt to almost any context involving containment.
In technical or professional settings, 箱子 might be replaced by more specific terms like 集装箱 (jí zhuāng xiāng) for shipping containers or 配电箱 (pèi diàn xiāng) for an electrical distribution box. However, for 90% of daily interactions, 箱子 is the perfect, all-purpose word. It is also important to note the spatial prepositions: 箱子里 (inside the box), 箱子上 (on top of the box), and 箱子旁 (beside the box).
You will encounter the word 箱子 in several high-frequency environments. The most common is during travel and logistics. At train stations (火车站) and airports (机场), the sound of wheels on pavement is the sound of 箱子 in motion. Security guards will ask you to put your 箱子 on the X-ray machine scanner. In these contexts, it's synonymous with luggage.
“您的箱子超重了，需要补交运费。” (Your box/suitcase is overweight; you need to pay extra shipping/luggage fees.)
Another major context is moving house (搬家). China's rapid urbanization means people are constantly moving between apartments. You will see stacks of 纸箱 (cardboard boxes) lined up on sidewalks or in the back of small moving vans. Friends might ask, “你还有多少个箱子要搬？” (How many more boxes do you have to move?).
- E-commerce
- With the boom of platforms like Taobao and JD.com, the 'unboxing' experience (开箱) is a cultural phenomenon. Delivery drivers (快递员) arrive with 箱子 daily.
- Home Organization
- In small urban apartments, storage boxes (收纳箱) are essential for maximizing space.
Finally, you'll hear it in retail and markets. If you buy fruit in bulk, the vendor will offer it by the 箱. In a hardware store, you might look for a 工具箱 (toolbox). Even in abstract discussions about technology, engineers might talk about a 'black box' (黑箱 or 黑盒), though 箱子 is usually reserved for the physical object.
The most frequent mistake learners make with 箱子 is confusing it with 盒子 (hézi). While both mean 'box', the distinction lies in size and purpose. A 盒子 is typically small, often decorative, or used for light items like jewelry, shoes, or food (e.g., a lunch box is 饭盒). A 箱子 is larger, sturdier, and used for storage or transport of heavier goods.
❌ 这个戒指在箱子里。 (The ring is in the [large] box.)
✅ 这个戒指在盒子里。 (The ring is in the [small] box.)
Another error involves the measure word. As mentioned, 箱 is a measure word itself. Learners often redundantly say 一箱子苹果 when 一箱苹果 is more standard. Conversely, when referring to the object itself, they might forget the '子' and just say 那个箱, which sounds incomplete in modern Mandarin unless it's part of a compound.
- Confusing with 'Bag' (包)
- A suitcase is a 箱子 (rigid), while a backpack or soft duffel is a 包 (bāo). Don't call your hard-shell suitcase a 包.
- Tone Errors
- The first syllable xiāng is high and flat (1st tone). Dropping it to a 3rd or 4th tone can change the meaning or make it unintelligible.
Finally, watch out for the word 柜子 (guìzi), which means cabinet or cupboard. While both are for storage, a 柜子 is usually a piece of furniture that stays in one place, whereas a 箱子 is portable. If it has wheels or a handle, it's definitely a 箱子.
To truly master 箱子, you should understand its relationship with similar terms. The Chinese language is very specific about containers based on their shape, material, and function. Here are the most common relatives:
- 盒子 (hézi)
- Small boxes. Think of a shoe box, a gift box, or a box of chocolates. If you can hold it easily in one hand, it's likely a 盒子.
- 筐 (kuāng)
- A basket, usually open-topped and made of wicker or plastic. Used for vegetables or laundry. Unlike a 箱子, it usually doesn't have a lid.
- 柜 (guì)
- Cabinets or chests of drawers. These are fixed furniture. 衣柜 (wardrobe), 书柜 (bookshelf).
- 桶 (tǒng)
- Buckets or barrels. These are cylindrical. 垃圾桶 (trash can), 水桶 (water bucket).
“我把小饰品放在盒子里，把大衣服放在箱子里。” (I put small accessories in the box [hézi] and big clothes in the trunk [xiāngzi].)
There are also specific types of 箱 that are useful to know. 行李箱 (xínglǐxiāng) is the specific word for a suitcase. 后备箱 (hòubèixiāng) is the trunk of a car. 皮箱 (píxiāng) refers to a leather suitcase, often associated with old-fashioned or high-end travel. 木箱 (mùxiāng) is a wooden crate.
In summary, while 箱子 is the general term, choosing the right container word depends on the scale and the context. If it's for heavy-duty storage or travel, 箱子 is your best bet. If it's small and delicate, go with 盒子. If it's a piece of furniture, use 柜子.
How Formal Is It?
Niveau de difficulté
Grammaire à connaître
The 'Ba' (把) construction for moving objects.
Resultative complements (e.g., 装满, 打开).
Directional complements (e.g., 搬进来, 拿出来).
Measure words as nouns vs. measure words for quantity.
Spatial prepositions (里, 上, 下, 旁).
Exemples par niveau
这是一个箱子。
This is a box.
Uses the basic '这 + 是 + 量词 + 名词' structure.
箱子在桌子下面。
The box is under the table.
Prepositional phrase '在...下面'.
我的箱子很小。
My box is very small.
Adjective '小' with the intensifier '很'.
你有几个箱子？
How many boxes do you have?
Question word '几个' for small numbers.
箱子里有书。
There are books in the box.
Existential sentence with '有'.
请给我那个箱子。
Please give me that box.
Imperative sentence with '请'.
这个箱子是红色的。
This box is red.
Color description using '...是的'.
我不喜欢这个箱子。
I don't like this box.
Negative '不' with the verb '喜欢'.
我要去旅游，需要买一个新箱子。
I'm going traveling and need to buy a new suitcase.
Future intent '要' and purpose.
这个箱子太重了，我搬不动。
This box is too heavy; I can't move it.
Potential complement '搬不动'.
请把衣服装进箱子里。
Please pack the clothes into the box.
Resultative structure '装进...里'.
他在箱子里找他的钥匙。
He is looking for his keys in the box.
Action in progress '在...找'.
这个纸箱是用来装水果的。
This cardboard box is used for holding fruit.
Passive/Purpose structure '是用来...的'.
箱子的盖子坏了。
The lid of the box is broken.
Possessive '的' connecting two nouns.
你可以帮我开一下箱子吗？
Can you help me open the box for a moment?
Polite request with '一下' and '吗'.
这里有三个空箱子。
There are three empty boxes here.
Number + Measure Word + Adjective + Noun.
搬家的时候，我们用了二十多个纸箱。
When moving house, we used more than twenty cardboard boxes.
Time phrase '...的时候' and '多' for approximation.
这只箱子是用真皮做的，非常贵。
This suitcase is made of genuine leather and is very expensive.
Material construction '是用...做的'.
他把所有的秘密都锁在了那个旧箱子里。
He locked all his secrets in that old box.
'把' construction with location result '在...里'.
超市里有一箱一箱的牛奶在打折。
There are boxes and boxes of milk on sale in the supermarket.
Reduplication of measure word '一箱一箱' for emphasis.
我的行李箱在机场被弄丢了。
My suitcase was lost at the airport.
Passive '被' construction.
这个收纳箱可以节省很多空间。
This storage box can save a lot of space.
Modal verb '可以' and abstract noun '空间'.
请确认箱子里的物品是否齐全。
Please confirm whether the items in the box are complete.
Formal verb '确认' and '是否'.
他在地下室发现了一个装满旧照片的箱子。
He found a box full of old photos in the basement.
Complex noun phrase with '装满...的'.
集装箱运输彻底改变了全球贸易。
Container shipping has completely revolutionized global trade.
Abstract subject and formal verb '改变'.
他从后备箱里拿出了备用轮胎。
He took the spare tire out of the trunk.
Compound directional complement '拿出来'.
这个医疗箱里备有各种急救药品。
This medical kit is equipped with various emergency medicines.
Formal '备有' (equipped with).
这种折叠箱在不用时可以压平，非常方便。
This kind of folding box can be flattened when not in use, which is very convenient.
Conditional phrase '在...时'.
他小心翼翼地打开箱子，仿佛里面藏着无价之宝。
He opened the box cautiously, as if there were a priceless treasure hidden inside.
Idiomatic adverb '小心翼翼' and '仿佛'.
为了防止损坏，箱子外面包裹了一层厚厚的泡沫。
To prevent damage, the outside of the box was wrapped in a thick layer of foam.
Purpose clause '为了' and resultative '包裹'.
这个投票箱被安置在图书馆的入口处。
This ballot box was placed at the entrance of the library.
Formal passive '被安置'.
箱子的尺寸超出了航空公司的规定。
The dimensions of the box exceeded the airline's regulations.
Formal vocabulary '尺寸', '超出', '规定'.
博物馆展出了一个汉代的漆器箱子。
The museum exhibited a lacquerware box from the Han Dynasty.
Historical reference and specific noun '漆器'.
这个理论就像一个黑箱，我们只能看到输入和输出。
This theory is like a black box; we can only see the inputs and outputs.
Simile '就像...一样' and metaphorical usage.
他的一生都被装在了这几个沉重的木箱里，随他漂泊异乡。
His whole life was packed into these few heavy wooden crates, wandering with him in foreign lands.
Literary personification and '被' construction.
设计师巧妙地利用了箱体结构来增强建筑的稳固性。
The designer cleverly used the box structure to enhance the building's stability.
Technical term '箱体结构'.
这些旧箱子承载着家族几代人的记忆。
These old boxes carry the memories of several generations of the family.
Abstract verb '承载' (to carry/bear).
他试图打破思维的箱子，寻找更具创造力的解决方案。
He tried to break out of the 'box' of his thinking to find a more creative solution.
Metaphorical use of '箱子' similar to the English idiom.
在那个动荡的年代，一箱金条足以买下一座宅院。
In those turbulent times, a box of gold bars was enough to buy a courtyard house.
Historical context and '足以' (sufficient to).
这种精密仪器的包装箱必须具备防震和防水功能。
The packaging box for this precision instrument must have shockproof and waterproof functions.
Technical requirements and '具备...功能'.
作者通过对那口尘封箱子的描写，隐喻了主人公压抑的情感世界。
Through the description of that dust-laden box, the author metaphors the protagonist's repressed emotional world.
Literary analysis and '隐喻' (metaphor).
集装箱化不仅是物流技术的革新，更是全球资本主义扩张的催化剂。
Containerization is not only an innovation in logistics technology but also a catalyst for the expansion of global capitalism.
Socio-economic analysis and '不仅...更是'.
这件文物箱盖上的饕餮纹饰展现了商周时期精湛的铸造工艺。
The Taotie motifs on the lid of this cultural relic box demonstrate the exquisite casting craftsmanship of the Shang and Zhou dynasties.
Art history terminology.
他将那些不堪回首的往事通通锁进心里的箱子，再也不愿提及。
He locked all those unbearable past events into the box of his heart, never wanting to mention them again.
Highly metaphorical and emotive language.
这种新型复合材料制成的航空箱，在极端环境下依然能保持结构完整。
This aviation box made of new composite materials can still maintain structural integrity in extreme environments.
Scientific register and '依然能'.
那口箱子仿佛是一个连接过去与未来的时空胶囊。
That box seems like a space-time capsule connecting the past and the future.
Philosophical simile.
在法律意义上，这个密封的箱子被视为不可侵犯的私人财产。
In a legal sense, this sealed box is regarded as inviolable private property.
Legal register '被视为'.
尽管箱体表面已斑驳陆离，但其内部的精密构造依然完好无损。
Although the surface of the box body is mottled and peeling, its internal precision structure remains intact.
Advanced descriptive idioms '斑驳陆离' and '完好无损'.
Collocations courantes
Phrases Courantes
Souvent confondu avec
Size. Hezi is small (jewelry, shoes); Xiangzi is large (suitcase, crate).
Mobility. Guizi is furniture (cabinet); Xiangzi is portable (box).
Structure. Bao is soft (bag/backpack); Xiangzi is rigid (box/suitcase).
Expressions idiomatiques
Facile à confondre
Structures de phrases
Famille de mots
Apparenté
Comment l'utiliser
Usually 30cm or larger. Smaller is 'hezi'.
Implies a certain level of rigidity.
Common throughout all Mandarin-speaking regions.
- Using '箱子' for a tiny jewelry box (use '盒子').
- Saying '一箱子苹果' in formal writing (use '一箱苹果').
- Confusing '箱子' with '包' (bag).
- Mispronouncing 'xiāng' as 'xiǎng'.
- Using '柜子' when you mean a portable box.
Astuces
Size Matters
Always use 'Xiangzi' for things you need two hands to carry.
Measure Word Trick
Use 'Xiang' as a measure word for quantity, 'Xiangzi' as the noun.
Airport Talk
At the airport, 'Xiangzi' almost always means your suitcase.
Red Boxes
Red boxes are lucky and often used for weddings or gifts.
Radical Clue
The bamboo radical (⺮) helps you remember it's a container.
Neutral Tone
The 'zi' should be very light, like a quick exhale.
Moving House
If you move, you need 'zhǐxiāng' (cardboard boxes).
Safe Box
A 'bǎoxiǎnxiāng' is a safe; 'bǎoxiǎn' means insurance/safe.
Fridge
Don't forget 'bīngxiāng' is a fridge, not a box you carry!
Bulk Buy
Buying 'yī xiāng' usually gets you a better price at the market.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
The 'Bamboo' (竹) top tells you it's a container, and 'Xiang' (相) sounds like 'shining' - a shiny new suitcase!
Origine du mot
Originally referred to a bamboo carriage or a bamboo storage container used in ancient China.
Contexte culturel
Traditionally, red wooden boxes were used to carry a bride's belongings.
The 'suitcase' aspect of 箱子 is central to the 'Chunyun' (Spring Festival travel rush) narrative.
While small gifts are in 'hezi', large bulk gifts (like a box of fruit) are in 'xiang'.
Pratique dans la vie réelle
Contextes réels
Amorces de conversation
"你的箱子重吗？ (Is your suitcase heavy?)"
"这个箱子里装的是什么？ (What is inside this box?)"
"我们需要多少个纸箱？ (How many cardboard boxes do we need?)"
"你能帮我把箱子放到架子上吗？ (Can you help me put the box on the shelf?)"
"你的行李箱是什么颜色的？ (What color is your suitcase?)"
Sujets d'écriture
Describe what you would pack in a 'time capsule' box.
Write about a time you moved and how many boxes you had.
If you found a mysterious box in your attic, what would be in it?
Describe your favorite suitcase and where it has traveled.
Write a dialogue between two people trying to carry a very heavy box.
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsIt's better to use '盒子' (hézi) for small gift boxes. '箱子' sounds too big.
Yes, '行李箱' is a specific type of '箱子' used for travel. In conversation, people often just say '箱子'.
The most common measure word is '个' (gè). For suitcases, '只' (zhī) is also used.
You say '一箱苹果' (yī xiāng píngguǒ). Here, '箱' acts as the measure word.
Yes, but the full word is '后备箱' (hòubèixiāng). In context, you can say '在箱子里' when referring to the trunk.
Yes, '箱' (xiāng) is always first tone. The 'zi' is neutral.
It is a cardboard box, very common for shipping and moving.
It is an idiom meaning to search everywhere thoroughly, literally 'turning over boxes and cabinets'.
Yes, it's colloquial and emphasizes that the box is full of books.
Yes, but often more specific terms like '包装箱' (packaging box) are used.
Teste-toi 180 questions
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Perfect score!
Summary
箱子 (xiāngzi) is the go-to Chinese word for any medium-to-large container with a lid. Whether you are packing for a flight or moving to a new house, this versatile word covers everything from cardboard shipping boxes to heavy-duty suitcases.
- A general noun for boxes, crates, and suitcases of various sizes.
- Commonly used with the measure word '个' (gè) or '只' (zhī).
- Essential for contexts involving travel, moving, and storage.
- Distinguished from 'hézi' (small box) by its larger size and utility.
Size Matters
Always use 'Xiangzi' for things you need two hands to carry.
Measure Word Trick
Use 'Xiang' as a measure word for quantity, 'Xiangzi' as the noun.
Airport Talk
At the airport, 'Xiangzi' almost always means your suitcase.
Red Boxes
Red boxes are lucky and often used for weddings or gifts.
Exemple
请帮我搬一下这个箱子。
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