棺
How to Say
How to Write
Meaning: coffin
💡 Wood (木) under an official (官) — imagine an official's final wooden bed.
Compounds
Character Story & Explanation
棺 (guān) combines the wood radical 木 with 官 (official), suggesting a coffin as the 'official' wooden container for the deceased. In ancient China, coffins were often made from valuable wood like pine or cypress, and burial rites were integral to filial piety. The character appears in idioms about death and preparations for the afterlife.
Example Sentences
Common Compounds
Similar Characters — Don't Mix These Up
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