TongTong
Sign in

保险柜 (bǎo xiǎn guì) — safe; strongbox

Definition

noun
safestrongbox
Measure word · 台

Examples

  • 保险柜。
    Wǒ bǎ guì zhòng wù pǐn dōu fàng zài bǎo xiǎn guì lǐ.
    I put my valuables in the safe.
  • 保险柜。
    Zhè ge bǎo xiǎn guì xū yào mì mǎ cái néng dǎ kāi.
    This safe requires a password to open.
  • 保险柜。
    Yín háng lǐ yǒu hěn duō dà xíng bǎo xiǎn guì.
    There are many large safes in the bank.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

保险safe
保bǎoprotect险xiǎnrisk
动宾Verb + object
柜guìcabinet

Here 保险 means safe, secure, and 柜 is a cabinet.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

保 originally showed a person 人 carrying a child 子 on their back, which led to the sense of protecting.

Open 保 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 險; 险 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
僉
僉qiān險
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 險 pairs 阝, written in full as 阜, with 僉, which gives the sound; the simplified 险 is a shorthand.

Open 险 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
巨
巨jù柜
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

柜 combines 木 (tree) with 巨, which gives the sound.

Open 柜 →
Appears in
Furniture

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.