壳 (ké) — shell (of an egg, nut, animal, etc.); outer casing, housing (of a device)
Definition
A physical noun for the hard outer covering of an egg, nut, or animal. For a specific seashell use 贝壳.
noun
shell (of an egg, nut, animal, etc.)outer casinghousing (of a device)
Easily confused
Examples
- 壳。Jī dàn de ké hěn báo.The egg shell is very thin.
- 壳。Zhè ge ké hěn piào liang.This shell is very pretty.
- 。Shǒu jī de wài ké yòng sù liào zuò de.The phone's outer casing is made of plastic.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 殼; 壳 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
㱿
㱿㱿殼ké(r)
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 殼 is built from 几 (the meaning part) and 㱿 (the sound part); the simplified 壳 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
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