盒 (hé) — box (bound form; used in compounds like 盒子, 饭盒)
Definition
盒 is a bound morpheme meaning 'box/case' — it almost never stands alone; learners meet it in compounds like 盒子 (box) and 饭盒 (lunchbox), where 子 or a preceding noun supplies the concrete meaning.
bound form
box (bound form; used in compounds like 盒子, 饭盒)
Easily confused
- 蛊gǔlook-alike(bound form) legendary venomous insect used in witchcraft
- 和hésound-alike(conjunction) and
- 盘pánlook-alike(classifier) used for games of chess, go, etc.; also for coils of wire or tape
- 和hésound-alikegentle, mild; harmonious
- 盆pénlook-alikebasin (container for liquids)
- 何hésound-alike(interrogative pronoun in fixed expressions) how, what, why (in 为何, 如何, 何时, etc.)
Examples
- ，。Zhè ge hé zi tài xiǎo le, zhuāng bú xià nà me duō dōng xī.This box is too small to hold so many things.
- 。Wǒ měi tiān dài fàn hé qù shàng bān.I bring a lunchbox to work every day.
- 。Tā de qiān bǐ hé shì lán sè de.Her pencil case is blue.
Grammar
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