柜子
guìzi
The Chinese word for cabinet is 柜子 (guìzi).
柜子 refers to a storage closet or any storage unit that features doors or drawers, such as a cupboard.
Meaning: storage closet (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 柜子 is a general term for various storage units, 橱柜 is often used specifically to refer to kitchen cabinets or cupboards. In Taiwan and parts of Southern China, the term 櫥櫃 is used interchangeably with 橱柜 to mean cabinet.
Is it said differently in some regions?
櫥櫃 is the term used in Taiwan and parts of Southern China.
How does it change in a sentence?
柜子 is a noun that can be used with the measure word 个 (gè).
How do you pronounce it?
guìzi
Did you know?
- In a bank or post office, a clerk is called a 柜员 (guìyuán), which literally means 'cabinet member'. This names the professional after the counter or cabinet that separates them from the customer.
- In traditional Chinese feng shui, the placement of a 柜子 relative to the door is strictly regulated to avoid blocking the flow of 'qi' or energy into a room.
- The character 柜 in 柜子 is a phono-semantic compound, where the left side represents 'wood' and the right side provides the sound.
Examples in context
- 我买了一个新的橱柜。I bought a new cabinet.
- 这个柜子非常大。Zhège guìzi fēicháng dà.This cabinet is very big.
- 请把书放在柜子里。Qǐng bǎ shū fàng zài guìzi lǐ.Please put the books in the cabinet.
- 那个柜子是木头做的。Nàge guìzi shì mùtou zuò de.That cabinet is made of wood.
Example conversation
晓雯 and 伟 are moving into a new apartment.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen伟，那个柜子放哪里？Wěi, nàge guìzi fàng nǎlǐ?Wei, where should we put that cabinet?
- 伟 Wei放在卧室的角落吧。Fàng zài wòshì de jiǎoluò ba.Let's put it in the corner of the bedroom.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen这个柜子很重，帮帮我。Zhège guìzi hěn zhòng, bāngbang wǒ.This cabinet is very heavy, help me.
- 伟 Wei没问题，我来搬。Méi wèntí, wǒ lái bān.No problem, I'll carry it.
