缸 (gāng) - A large container, jar, or vat, typically made
缸 · gāng
A large container, jar, or vat, typically made of earthenware, porcelain, or other materials, used for holding water, grains, fish, or other substances.
A large container, jar, or vat, typically made
Usage highlights
Fish tankWater vatPorcelain jarPickle jarFlowerpotUrn
Usage & contexts
Examples
- The fish swim in the fish tank (鱼缸).
- We store water in the water vat (水缸).
- The potter made a beautiful porcelain jar (瓷缸).
- There is a large jar of pickles in the kitchen (酱缸).
Collocations
- Fish tank(鱼缸)
- Water vat(水缸)
- Porcelain jar(瓷缸)
- Pickle jar(酱缸)
- Flowerpot(花缸)
- Urn(缸瓮)
Idioms
- To smash the vat and sink the boat(破釜沉缸)
- A frog at the bottom of a well(井底之缸)
- The dye vat cannot produce white cloth(染缸里拉不出白布)
Cultural background
FAQ- Historically,缸 were essential household items in traditional Chinese homes for water storage, food preservation, and other daily uses.
- In Chinese art and literature,缸 often symbolize containment, abundance, or sometimes limitation (as in the 'frog in the well' idiom).
- 缸 are prominent in traditional crafts, especially in pottery and porcelain making, with regions like Jingdezhen famous for their 瓷缸.