殻 (qiào) - Shell, husk, casing & hard outer covering of nuts, seeds, or certain

殻Tone 4

qiào ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

器情

殻 · qiào

Shell, husk, casing;

hard outer covering of nuts, seeds, or certain animals;

also refers to a framework or structure.

Shell, husk, casinghard outer covering of nuts, seeds, or certainalso refers to a framework or structure.

Usage highlights

EggshellTurtle shellNut shellBullet casingShell companyOuter shell

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 核— core, nucleus (opposite of outer shell)
  • 仁— kernel, seed (what's inside the shell)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The turtle retreated into its shell (龟壳).
  • He cracked the walnut shell (核桃壳).
  • The bullet casing (弹壳) was found at the scene.
  • This software has a new user interface shell (界面壳).

Collocations

  • Eggshell(蛋壳)
  • Turtle shell(龟壳)
  • Nut shell(坚果壳)
  • Bullet casing(弹壳)
  • Shell company(壳公司)
  • Outer shell(外壳)

Idioms

  • To escape from its shell(金蝉脱壳)
  • Hard shell with empty inside(空壳公司)
  • To break out of the cocoon(破壳而出)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, shells (especially turtle shells) were historically used for divination in ancient times.
  • The character appears in idioms describing transformation or escape, such as the cicada shedding its shell.
  • In modern business context, 'shell company' refers to a company that exists only on paper with no significant assets or operations.

FAQ