壳 (ké) - Shell, crust, hard outer covering & casing

壳Tone 2

ké ｜ 7 strokes ｜ radical: 士

俊梁

壳 · ké

Shell, crust, hard outer covering;

casing;

hull.

Shell, crust, hard outer coveringcasinghull.

Usage highlights

EggshellNut shellTurtle shellShellfishBrain case/skullOuter shell

Synonyms

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The turtle retreated into its shell (龟壳).
  • I cracked a peanut shell (花生壳).
  • This is a bullet casing (子弹壳).
  • The crab has a hard shell (螃蟹壳).

Collocations

  • Eggshell(蛋壳)
  • Nut shell(坚果壳)
  • Turtle shell(龟壳)
  • Shellfish(贝壳)
  • Brain case/skull(脑壳)
  • Outer shell(外壳)

Idioms

  • Empty shell, devoid of substance(空壳子)
  • Hard shell, soft inside(硬壳软心)
  • Break out of the shell(破壳而出)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, shells (贝壳) were historically used as currency, leading to characters with the 'shell' radical (贝) often relating to wealth or commerce.
  • The character 壳 appears in various contexts from biology (animal shells) to technology (electronic casings).
  • In some dialects, '脑壳' (head/skull) is a common colloquial term for head.

FAQ