殼 (ké) - Shell — refers to the hard outer covering & also used metaphorically for outer layers or casings.

殼Tone 2

ké ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

殼 · ké

Shell — refers to the hard outer covering of nuts, eggs, or certain animals;

also used metaphorically for outer layers or casings.

Shell — refers to the hard outer coveringalso used metaphorically for outer layers or casings.

Usage highlights

EggshellTurtle shellOuter shellNut shellSeashellBullet casing

Synonyms

  • 壳— shell (simplified form)
  • 甲— armor, shell, carapace
  • 皮— skin, peel, covering

Antonyms

  • 核— core, nucleus (opposite of outer shell)
  • 心— heart, core, center

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The turtle retreated into its shell (龟壳).
  • Crack the eggshell (蛋壳) carefully.
  • The building has a reinforced concrete shell (外壳).
  • Some seeds have very hard shells (种壳).

Collocations

  • Eggshell(蛋壳)
  • Turtle shell(龟壳)
  • Outer shell(外壳)
  • Nut shell(坚果壳)
  • Seashell(贝壳)
  • Bullet casing(弹壳)

Idioms

  • Empty shell with no substance(金玉其外，败絮其中)
  • Hard shell and soft inside(外刚内柔)
  • Break out of the cocoon(破茧成蝶)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, turtle shells were historically used for divination in ancient times.
  • The character often appears in contexts describing protective coverings or outer layers.
  • Metaphorically used to describe something that appears strong but is hollow inside.

FAQ