棺材

guān cai

CL 个 gè 口 kǒu 具 jù

HSK 3.0 Level 7 Noun Common

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Definitions

1. coffin

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Word relationships

Register variants

1 item

• 寿材 shòu cái 寿材 shòu cái coffin euphemistic term for coffin, used when preparing for one's own burial: coffin

Related words

2 items

• 骨灰盒 gǔ huī hé 骨灰盒 gǔ huī hé box for bone ashes cremation urn, associated with funeral customs: box for bone ashes
• 灵柩 líng jiù 灵柩 líng jiù coffin containing a corpse coffin containing a corpse, used in formal or literary contexts: coffin containing a corpse

Synonyms

1 item

• 棺木 guān mù 棺木 guān mù coffin formal or written term for coffin: coffin

Usage notes

Cultural notes

In Chinese culture, gifting objects like clocks or shoes that sound like 'sending off' or 'coffin' is taboo, as it symbolizes death and bad luck.

Formality

棺材 is the standard neutral term for 'coffin'. 寿材 is an euphemism used to refer to a coffin prepared in advance for a living person to express respect for elders.

Example Sentences

1 shown

他们把那口 棺材 抬到了墓地。

They carried that coffin to the cemetery.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 棺材

• 不见棺材不落泪 不见棺材不落泪 bù jiàn guān cai bù luò lèi: lit. not to shed a tear until one sees the coffin (idiom)
• 棺材瓤子 棺材瓤子 guān cai ráng zi: geezer with one foot in the grave (used jokingly or as an imprecation)

Child Words of 棺材

• 材 材 cái: material
• 棺 棺 guān: coffin