窖 (jiào) - cellar & pit

窖Tone 4

jiào ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

健傑

窖 · jiào

cellar;

pit;

underground storage space for preserving food or storing items;

to store in a cellar.

cellarpitunderground storage space for preserving food or storing

Usage highlights

Wine cellarVegetable cellarIce cellarUnderground cellarStorage cellarCellar storage

Synonyms

  • 穴— cave; hole (general underground space)
  • 库— warehouse; storage (general storage facility)

Antonyms

  • 阁— attic; loft (above-ground storage)
  • 台— platform; terrace (elevated structure)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The wine is aged in a cellar (酒窖).
  • They store vegetables in a root cellar (菜窖).
  • Ice was historically stored in icehouses (冰窖).
  • A deep pit used for storage (地窖).

Collocations

  • Wine cellar(酒窖)
  • Vegetable cellar(菜窖)
  • Ice cellar(冰窖)
  • Underground cellar(地窖)
  • Storage cellar(窖藏)
  • Cellar storage(窖存)

Idioms

  • To store up in a cellar(窖藏)
  • Deep as a cellar(深窖)
  • Ice cellar storage(冰窖储藏)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically vital for food preservation before refrigeration, especially in northern China.
  • Used for aging alcoholic beverages like wine and baijiu, contributing to flavor development.
  • Represents traditional wisdom in utilizing underground spaces for temperature and humidity control.

FAQ