柜子

• Pinyin: guì zi
• Hanzi breakdown: 柜 = 木 (wood) + 巨 (giant); 子 = noun suffix

Meaning

Cabinet; cupboard; closet. A piece of furniture for storage with doors or drawers.

General term for various types of storage furniture including wardrobes, kitchen cabinets, filing cabinets, etc. The type is often specified with a modifier like 衣柜子, 书柜子.

Examples

1. 请把衣服放进柜子里。 Please put the clothes in the cabinet.
2. 厨房的柜子里放满了各种调料。 The kitchen cabinet is filled with various seasonings.
3. 我需要买一个新柜子来存放书籍。 I need to buy a new cabinet to store books.

Usage Guide

Context: furniture, home, storage, organization

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 柜子里有什么？(What's in the cabinet?)
• 把东西放进柜子。(Put the things in the cabinet.)

Don't Say

• 柜子 for bank counter (that's 柜台 — 柜子 is specifically for furniture)

Origin & History

Compound of 柜 (cabinet) + 子 (noun suffix), from 柜 which originally meant a wooden storage container.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal