玻璃

• Pinyin: bō li
• Hanzi breakdown: 玻 = 王 (jade radical) + 皮 (phonetic); 璃 = 王 (jade radical) + 离 (phonetic)

Meaning

Glass. A hard, transparent material made from sand and used in windows, containers, and decorative items.

Used for window glass, drinking glasses, glass bottles, and decorative glass items. Common compounds: 玻璃杯 (glass cup), 玻璃窗 (glass window), 玻璃门 (glass door). Colloquially, 玻璃心 means someone who is overly sensitive.

Examples

1. 小心点，这个玻璃杯很容易碎。 Be careful, this glass cup breaks easily.
2. 我们家刚换了新的玻璃窗，屋里亮堂多了。 We just replaced the glass windows at home, and the room is much brighter now.
3. 艺术家用彩色玻璃创作了一幅美丽的壁画。 The artist created a beautiful mural using colored glass.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, materials, household

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 请帮我倒杯水，用玻璃杯。(Please pour me some water, use a glass cup.)
• 玻璃碎了要小心。(Be careful with broken glass.)

Don't Say

• 用'玻璃'来指眼镜——应该说'眼镜'而不是'玻璃' (Don't use 玻璃 to mean eyeglasses — use 眼镜 instead)

Origin & History

A phonetic transliteration from Sanskrit 'sphaṭika' (crystal), borrowed through Buddhist texts during ancient times.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal