棺材

• Pinyin: guān cai
• Hanzi breakdown: 棺 = 木 (wood) + 官 (phonetic — official/enclosure); 材 = 木 (wood) + 才 (phonetic — material)

Meaning

Coffin; casket. The wooden container used to hold a corpse for burial.

A taboo word in everyday conversation due to its association with death. However, it appears frequently in literature, historical texts, and funeral-related contexts. In some regional dialects, it carries superstitious significance. The phrase 棺材脸 (coffin face) is a colloquial insult for a gloomy expression.

Examples

1. 工匠们用上好的楠木精心打造了一口棺材，以示对逝者的尊重。 Craftsmen carefully made a coffin out of fine nanmu wood to show respect for the deceased.
2. 旧社会的穷苦人家往往买不起像样的棺材，只能草草安葬。 In the old days, poor families often couldn’t afford a proper coffin and could only bury their dead in haste.
3. 博物馆展出了一批战国时期出土的漆木棺材，工艺精湛。 The museum displayed a set of lacquered wooden coffins unearthed from the Warring States period, with exquisite craftsmanship.

Usage Guide

Context: funeral, history, literature

Tone: solemn

Do Say

• 在中国传统葬礼中，棺材的质量往往体现对逝者的敬重。(In traditional Chinese funerals, the quality of the coffin often reflects respect for the deceased.)
• 考古学家在墓葬中发现了保存完好的古代棺材。(Archaeologists discovered well-preserved ancient coffins in the tomb.)

Don't Say

• 你真是一张棺材脸 — 棺材脸 is a rude insult; avoid using it; use 愁眉苦脸 (to describe a gloomy expression) in polite speech

Origin & History

棺 (coffin) + 材 (material, timber). Originally referred to the wooden material of a coffin; the compound came to mean the coffin itself.

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional China

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal