箱
box, chest, case, bin, railway car
Readings
On'yomi
- ソウ
Kun'yomi
- はこ
Meaning
箱 centers on a container with defined boundaries: a box, chest, case, or bin for holding things. The railway car sense extends this to a large container on wheels.
Most common words using 箱
20 of 169- 箱はこN5
box; case; chest; package; pack; crate
- ゴミ箱ごみばこ
trash can; garbage can; rubbish bin; dustbin
- 箱庭はこにわ
miniature garden
- 箱舟はこぶね
ark (i.e. Noah's)
- 箱入りはこいり
cased; boxed
- 重箱じゅうばこ
jūbako; multi-tiered food box
- 巣箱すばこ
birdhouse; nest box; bird box
- 玉手箱たまてばこ
Urashima's casket (in the story of Urashima Tarō); Pandora's box
- 靴箱くつばこ
shoe box; shoe shelf
- 箱詰めはこづめ
packing into a box; boxing (up); thing packed in a box
- 跳び箱とびばこ
vaulting horse; vaulting box; box horse
- 筆箱ふでばこ
pencil case; pencil box; writing brush case
- 箱入り娘はこいりむすめ
girl who has led a sheltered life; pet daughter; naive girl; ingénue
- 私書箱ししょばこ
post office box
- お払い箱おはらいばこ
discarding; throwing away; getting rid of
- ブタ箱ぶたばこ
police cell; lockup
- 千両箱せんりょうばこ
box of 1000 ryō
- 大箱おおばこ
large box; chest
- 香箱こうばこ
incense box
- 投票箱とうひょうばこ
ballot box
Study
Etymology
箱 combines 竹 (bamboo) and 相, which likely contributes the sound. The character originally referred to a bamboo box or container.
Meaning mnemonic
The top 竹 suggests bamboo material, and the bottom 相 looks like a wooden box with a lid. Picture a bamboo box with a wooden frame: 箱 is a box.
Reading mnemonic
For ソウ, imagine a box so big you can sew a whole chest inside it: sew -> ソウ, and the box holds everything.