易拉罐

• Pinyin: yì lā guàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 易 = 日 + 勿 (sun + negation — easy, effortless); 拉 = 扌+ 立 (hand + stand — to pull); 罐 = 缶 + 雚 (earthen jar + heron — sealed container)

Meaning

Pull-tab can; ring-pull can. An aluminium beverage can opened by pulling a metal tab.

The standard term for canned beverages in aluminium pull-tab containers: 可乐易拉罐 (cola can), 啤酒易拉罐 (beer can). 易 (easy) + 拉 (pull) + 罐 (can/tin) captures the convenience of the design. Common in everyday consumer contexts and recycling discussions. Distinct from 罐头 (tin can for food, opened with a can opener).

Examples

1. 他坐在便利店门口的台阶上，拉开一罐冰镇的易拉罐柠檬茶，慢慢享受着难得的午后休闲时光。 He sat on the steps outside a convenience store, popped open an ice-cold can of lemon tea, and slowly enjoyed a rare, leisurely afternoon.
2. 环保组织在调查中发现，城市公园内随意丢弃的易拉罐是铝制垃圾的主要来源，呼吁市民自觉投入回收箱。 An environmental group found in its survey that casually discarded cans are the main source of aluminum litter in city parks, and it called on residents to use recycling bins.
3. 工厂的自动化生产线每分钟可灌装并封口超过两千个易拉罐，效率之高令参观的工程师叹为观止。 The factory’s automated production line can fill and seal more than 2,000 cans per minute; the efficiency left visiting engineers in awe.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, consumer goods, recycling, food and drink

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 超市饮料区的冷藏柜里摆满了各品牌的易拉罐啤酒和碳酸饮料，节假日前夕的销量往往是平日的三到四倍。(The refrigerated cabinets in the supermarket's beverage section are packed with canned beers and carbonated drinks of various brands, with sales on the eve of public holidays typically three to four times the daily average.)
• 铝制易拉罐的回收率在发达国家普遍超过百分之七十，而在国内仍有较大的提升空间，完善回收激励机制是关键所在。(The recycling rate for aluminium pull-tab cans exceeds seventy percent in developed countries, while there remains considerable room for improvement domestically; refining recycling incentive mechanisms is key.)

Don't Say

• 把那个易拉罐头给我 — 易拉罐 and 罐头 are different things; 易拉罐 is a beverage pull-tab can while 罐头 is a food tin; do not combine them into 易拉罐头

Origin & History

易 (easy — clarity and ease) + 拉 (to pull — 扌hand + 立 stand; pulling upward) + 罐 (can/vessel — 缶 earthen jar; a sealed container)

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal