壳

• Pinyin: ké
• Hanzi breakdown: 壳 (simplified) from 殼 = outer protective layer, shell

Meaning

Shell; husk; casing; outer layer.

The hard outer covering of eggs, nuts, shellfish, or manufactured items like phone cases. Two pronunciations: ké (colloquial, common) and qiào (formal). Collocates with 蛋壳 (eggshell), 贝壳 (seashell), 手机壳 (phone case).

Examples

1. 小心剥开鸡蛋壳，别把蛋黄弄碎了。 Carefully peel the eggshell — don't break the yolk.
2. 海边有很多漂亮的贝壳，她捡了一大把带回家。 There were many beautiful seashells on the beach — she picked up a big handful to bring home.
3. 我给手机换了个新壳，是限量版的卡通图案。 I got a new case for my phone — it's a limited edition cartoon design.

Usage Guide

Context: nature, food, products

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 蛋壳不要乱扔。(Don't throw eggshells everywhere.)
• 你的手机壳很好看。(Your phone case looks nice.)

Don't Say

• 他是个空壳人。(For describing an empty person, use 空壳子 or just metaphorical language; 空壳 alone usually refers to shell companies)

Origin & History

Pictophonetic: 士 (scholar, top) + 冖 (cover) + 几 (table) + 殳 (weapon, phonetic). An outer protective covering.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal