罐

• Pinyin: guàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 罐 = 缶 (earthenware jar — container meaning) + 雚 (phonetic)

Meaning

A jar; a canister; a pot. A wide-mouthed container, typically cylindrical, made of ceramic, metal, or glass, used for storage or packaging.

Appears in many common compound words: 罐头 (canned food/tin can), 茶罐 (tea canister), 水罐 (water jug). In colloquial speech, 罐 is used for drink cans, paint cans, and storage jars. Also appears in the medical term 拔罐 (cupping therapy).

Examples

1. 厨房架子上摆放着各式各样装有香料和干货的陶瓷罐。 The kitchen shelves are lined with all kinds of ceramic jars filled with spices and dried goods.
2. 他拉开拉环，拔开一罐冰镇啤酒，在沙发上坐下。 He pulled the tab and opened a can of ice-cold beer, then sat down on the couch.
3. 那位老中医取出几个玻璃罐，开始为病人进行拔罐治疗。 The old Chinese doctor took out several glass cups and began performing cupping therapy on the patient.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, cooking, medicine

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 她把剩余的咖啡豆密封在一个深色的陶罐里，防止受潮变质。(She sealed the remaining coffee beans in a dark ceramic jar to prevent moisture and deterioration.)
• 这种传统工艺生产的陶罐既美观又实用，深受收藏家喜爱。(Ceramic jars produced using this traditional craft are both beautiful and practical, highly valued by collectors.)

Don't Say

• 把水放进罐 — use 罐子 or 水罐 for a specific jar/jug in casual speech; bare 罐 alone without a modifier sounds incomplete in everyday contexts and is more natural in compounds

Origin & History

Originally a ceramic vessel. The character 罐 = 缶 (earthenware jar radical) + 雚 (phonetic component). 缶 is an ancient pottery vessel, establishing the container meaning.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal