包裹

• Pinyin: bāo guǒ
• Hanzi breakdown: 包 = 勹 (wrap) + 巳 (phonetic); 裹 = 衣 (clothing) + 果 (fruit, phonetic)

Meaning

Package; parcel; to wrap up. Refers to a wrapped item sent by mail or delivery, or the act of wrapping something.

Used as a noun to mean a parcel or package (e.g. from a courier), and as a verb to mean wrapping or bundling something. Common in shopping, mailing, and gift contexts.

Examples

1. 快递员把包裹放在门口就走了。 The delivery person left the package at the door and left.
2. 妈妈用布把礼物包裹起来，准备送给奶奶。 Mum wrapped the gift in cloth, ready to give to grandma.
3. 我收到了一个从北京寄来的包裹。 I received a package sent from Beijing.

Usage Guide

Context: shopping, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我明天去取那个包裹。(I'll pick up that package tomorrow.)
• 请帮我把这些东西包裹好。(Please help me wrap these things up.)

Don't Say

• 用'包裹'代替'礼物'本身 — '包裹'强调外层包装，不是礼物内容本身 (Don't use 包裹 to mean the gift itself — it refers to the outer wrapping or parcel, not the gift content)

Origin & History

包 means 'to wrap' and 裹 also means 'to wrap or bundle'. Together they form a compound emphasising the concept of enclosing or packaging something.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal