Chinese word

贝壳

Pronunciation

Pinyinbèi ké

Meaning

  • nounshell

Example

沙滩上有很多贝壳。shā tān shàng yǒu hěn duō bèi ké

There are many shells on the beach.

Illustration for 贝壳 (shell)

More examples

她把贝壳串成了一条项链。tā bǎ bèi ké chuàn chéng le yì tiáo xiàng liàn

She strung shells into a necklace.

Core concept

A hard outer covering that protects a soft-bodied animal and may remain after the animal is gone.

Common phrases

  • 捡贝壳jiǎn bèi ké

    pick up shells

  • 贝壳饰品bèi ké shì pǐn

    shell jewelry

  • 贝壳化石bèi ké huà shí

    shell fossil

Similar words

壳ké: The hard outside of something that shields and protects what is inside.
贝bèi: A shell or a shell-bearing animal that lives in water.
贝类bèi lèi: A group name for water animals with shells, such as bivalves and snails.
外壳wài ké: A hard outer layer covering an object or device and protecting its interior.

Definition in Chinese

软体动物（通常指贝类）体表或体内形成的硬质外壳，用于保护或作为残留物出现在海滩、河岸等处。ruán tǐ dòng wù tōng cháng zhǐ bèi lèi tí biǎo huò tǐ nèi xíng chéng de yìng zhì wài ké yòng yú bǎo hù huò zuò wéi cán liú wù chū xiàn zài hǎi tān hé àn děng chù

Word origin

The compound joins 贝 (bèi, "shell") and 壳 (ké, "hard outer covering"), combining the material association of 贝 with the protective sense of 壳.

Usage tips

  • The measure word 枚 (méi, "classifier for small objects") presents one shell as a complete item, whereas 片 (piàn, "piece") presents only a broken or thin section.

Related words

  • 贝壳饰品bèi ké shì pǐnshell jewelrynoun
  • 贝壳化石bèi ké huà shíshell fossilnoun

Word lists with this word