贝壳

• Pinyin: bèi ké
• Hanzi breakdown: 贝 = simplified from 貝 (shell pictograph); 壳 = 士 + 冖 + 几 (outer shell)

Meaning

Shell; seashell. The hard outer covering of mollusks.

The calcium carbonate shells of marine mollusks like clams, oysters, and snails. Collected for decoration, jewelry, and historically used as currency (hence 贝 appears in many money-related characters). Also refers to shells of land snails.

Examples

1. 海滩上散落着各种形状的贝壳，孩子们捡得不亦乐乎。 Shells of all shapes are scattered on the beach — the children are having a blast collecting them.
2. 古代中国曾经用贝壳当作货币使用。 Ancient China once used shells as currency.
3. 她收藏了一盒子贝壳，都是从世界各地海边捡来的。 She has a box full of shells collected from beaches all over the world.

Usage Guide

Context: nature, beach, collecting

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 这个贝壳真漂亮。(This shell is really beautiful.)
• 我在海边捡了好多贝壳。(I picked up lots of shells at the beach.)

Don't Say

• 把螃蟹壳叫'贝壳' (Don't call crab shells 贝壳 — use 蟹壳; 贝壳 refers specifically to mollusk shells)

Origin & History

贝 (shell/cowrie) + 壳 (shell/covering). Double emphasis on the shell.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal