匚
marks a container — box · Kangxi radical 22
marks a container — box, chest or basket — and by extension what is kept or shut inside it
匚 is a picture of a squarish box or basket seen from the side, drawn with its lid off and its mouth facing right: a vertical stroke for the back wall, with a horizontal stroke top and bottom for the base and rim. The modern three strokes keep that open-sided shape exactly, so whatever is written inside the hook looks like something sitting in the box — 匣 a box holding 甲, 匠 a craftsman's axe 斤 in his toolbox, 匮 and 箧 chests for storing things. A few characters that look similar, such as 巨, 臣 and 叵, come from other pictures entirely and only happen to share the squared-off frame.
匚 at a glance
- Meaning
- marks a container — box
- Strokes
- 2
- Characters
- 19
- Role
- Contributes meaning
- Kangxi radical
- 22
Characters with 匚 (14 of 19)
Frequently asked questions
What does the component 匚 mean?
匚 means "marks a container — box". In the characters that contain it, it contributes meaning.
How many Chinese characters contain 匚?
19 characters in this dictionary contain 匚, including ones at HSK 5, HSK 6.
Is 匚 a radical?
Yes — 匚 is Kangxi radical 22, one of the 214 traditional indexing radicals used to organise Chinese dictionaries.
How many strokes does 匚 have?
匚 is written in 2 strokes.