櫝 (dú) - Du — a box, case, casket & to enclose, to contain

櫝Tone 2

dú ｜ 19 strokes ｜ radical:

丁恩

櫝 · dú

Du — a box, case, casket;

to enclose, to contain;

also refers to a coffin.

Du — a box, case, casketto enclose, to containalso refers to a coffin.

Usage highlights

Jewel caseBook caseCoffinWooden boxCase and pearlsBuy casket, return pearl

Synonyms

  • 盒— box, case
  • 箱— chest, trunk
  • 匣— small box, casket

Antonyms

  • 散— scatter, disperse
  • 露— expose, reveal

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • A jewel case (珠宝椟).
  • Buy a casket and return the pearl (买椟还珠).
  • The book was kept in a wooden case (书藏于木椟中).
  • He placed the relic in a small box (他将遗物放入小椟).

Collocations

  • Jewel case(玉椟)
  • Book case(书椟)
  • Coffin(棺椟)
  • Wooden box(木椟)
  • Case and pearls(椟珠)
  • Buy casket, return pearl(买椟还珠)

Idioms

  • Buy the casket and return the pearls(买椟还珠)
  • Hidden in a plain case(韫椟而藏)
  • Jade in casket, pearl in belly(玉椟珠腹)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In ancient China, finely crafted boxes (椟) were used to store precious items like jewels, seals, and important documents.
  • The idiom '买椟还珠' criticizes focusing on superficial packaging while ignoring true value.
  • The character appears in classical texts like The Analects of Confucius, showing its long history.

FAQ