行李

• Pinyin: xíng li
• Hanzi breakdown: 行 = 彳 (step with left foot) + 亍 (step with right foot), meaning to walk; 李 = 木 (tree) + 子 (child)

Meaning

Luggage; baggage. Personal belongings packed for travel.

A common travel-related noun. Appears in many useful phrases: 行李箱 (suitcase), 手提行李 (carry-on luggage), 托运行李 (checked luggage), 收拾行李 (pack luggage), 取行李 (collect luggage). Essential vocabulary for airports, hotels, and travel situations.

Examples

1. 我们先把行李放到酒店吧。 Let's put our luggage at the hotel first.
2. 他的行李太多了，一个人拿不了。 He has too much luggage for one person to carry.
3. 请在这里等一下，我去取行李。 Please wait here for a moment; I'll go collect my luggage.

Usage Guide

Context: travel, airport, hotel

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你的行李收拾好了吗？(Have you packed your luggage?)
• 这件行李可以带上飞机。(This piece of luggage can be brought on the plane.)

Don't Say

• 我买了一个新行李。(行李 refers to luggage in general — for a specific piece, say 行李箱 (suitcase) or 一件行李 (a piece of luggage).)

Origin & History

行 means 'to travel' or 'to go' and 李 was historically used for gifts or provisions. Together they originally referred to provisions for travel, later evolving to mean luggage.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal