装箱 (zhuāng xiāng) — packing crate, shipping container

Definition

A box or container used to pack and ship goods. 装箱 is the noun (the crate itself); 装 is the verb 'to pack' used separately. 箱子 is a general box for any purpose.

noun
packing crateshipping container
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 装箱。
    Zhè ge zhuāng xiāng shì yòng jiān gù de mù cái zhì chéng de.
    This packing crate is made of sturdy wood.
  • 装箱。
    Wǒ men xū yào liǎng gè dà xíng zhuāng xiāng lái yùn shū zhè pī huò wù.
    We need two large shipping containers to transport this batch of goods.
  • 装箱。
    Zhè xiē zhuāng xiāng shàng dōu biāo míng le yì suì pǐn de zì yàng.
    These packing crates all have 'fragile' marked on them.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

装zhuāngpack
箱xiāngcrate

装箱 combines 装 (pack) and 箱 (crate), naming a crate used for packing or the act of packing a crate.

Characters in this word

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 裝; 装 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衣衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
壯
壯zhuàng裝zhuāng
Same sound today

The traditional form 裝 pairs 衣 (clothes) with 壯 as a sound part; this story is about 裝, not the simplified 装.

Open 装 →

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
𥫗Written in full as竹zhúbamboo
Sound part声符shēngfú
相
相xiāng箱xiāng
Same sound today

箱 combines 竹, showing bamboo, with 相 as a sound part, to write a bamboo box or case.

Open 箱 →

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