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椟 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
椟dúcabinet, closet, wardrobezg, 12 strokes, radical 木
椟dúcaseunknown, 12 strokes, radical 木
椟dúcasketunknown, 12 strokes, radical 木
dú(du2) T2
  1. 1cabinet, closet, wardrobe
  2. 2case
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

椟(櫝)dú(du2)

The character 椟 (dú) refers to a cabinet or a case used for storing items, often implying a sense of sturdiness and protection. It is commonly used in contexts involving furniture or containers, particularly for valuable or delicate objects. In literary contexts, it can also evoke feelings of nostalgia or preservation.

Strokes12Radical木
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, cabinets and storage cases often symbolize the preservation of family heritage and wealth. Many families would have intricately designed cabinets that not only served functional purposes but also reflected their status.

Memory Tip

Imagine a sturdy wooden cabinet (the shape of 椟) where you keep your most treasured items safe. The radical 木 (wood) at the bottom represents that it's made of wood, while the top part resembles a roof, indicating that it's a closed structure. Think of 'dú' as 'do' when you 'do' something to keep your valuables safe.

Meanings of 椟

dú(du2)
1cabinet, closet, wardrobe
2case
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 椟

椟Simplified
櫝Traditional
12Strokes
木Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 椟

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Podcast: 椟

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AI Study Notes for 椟

Usage Notes

Be cautious not to confuse 椟 with similar characters like 椅 (yǐ, chair). It is more formal than casual terms for storage like 箱 (xiāng, box). It may also appear in compound words, so pay attention to context when encountering it.

HSK Study Tips

While 椟 is not included in the HSK, it shares the 木 radical with many other HSK characters, such as 树 (shù, tree) and 林 (lín, forest). Focus on recognizing the wood radical to make connections to other related vocabulary at your level.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 椟 with simpler terms like 箱 (xiāng, box) or 屏 (píng, screen). For example, saying '我把书放在椟里' (wǒ bǎ shū fàng zài dú lǐ) might be incorrect if you meant a simple box; using '箱' would be more appropriate.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 椟

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Etymology of 椟

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

wood

Semantic (meaning)木
+
Phonetic (sound)卖
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 椟

  1. 1The meaning half木 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half卖 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaywood
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 椟? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 椟?

Decomposition of 椟

IDS Structure⿰木卖
椟Full Character
=
木Mu4
left
卖mai4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 椟?

How to say cabinet, closet, wardrobe in Chinese

“cabinet, closet, wardrobe” in Chinese is椟dú

The character 椟 (dú) refers to a cabinet or a case used for storing items, often implying a sense of sturdiness and protection. It is commonly used in contexts involving furniture or containers, particularly for valuable or delicate objects. In literary contexts, it can also evoke feelings of nostalgia or preservation.

When to use 椟

Be cautious not to confuse 椟 with similar characters like 椅 (yǐ, chair). It is more formal than casual terms for storage like 箱 (xiāng, box). It may also appear in compound words, so pay attention to context when encountering it.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 椟 with simpler terms like 箱 (xiāng, box) or 屏 (píng, screen). For example, saying '我把书放在椟里' (wǒ bǎ shū fàng zài dú lǐ) might be incorrect if you meant a simple box; using '箱' would be more appropriate.

Write 椟

椟

Practice writing 椟 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 椟

Words Containing This Character2
买椟还珠to show poor judgment (idiom)買櫝還珠
椟dúcase櫝
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 买椟还珠 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 椟

It is pronounced 'dú' with a rising tone.

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