筆盒 / 笔盒
The English phrase "pencil case" is translated into Cantonese as 筆盒 / 笔盒. If unsure, use 筆盒 / 笔盒. Wiktionary also lists 鉛筆盒 / 铅笔盒 and 文具盒.
Meaning: object purposed to contain stationery (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese |
|---|
| 筆盒 / 笔盒 |
| 鉛筆盒 / 铅笔盒 |
| 文具盒 |
These terms refer to an object used to contain stationery.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 鉛筆盒 / 铅笔盒 is composed of 鉛筆 (pencil) and 盒 (box/case).
Which one should you use?
筆盒 / 笔盒 is a concise way to say pen or pencil case, using 筆 (writing instrument) instead of the more specific 鉛筆 (pencil). 鉛筆盒 / 铅笔盒 can be used to specifically emphasize that the case is for pencils. In contrast, 文具盒 is a more general term meaning "stationery box".
Did you know?
- The character 筆 in 筆盒 originally depicted a brush, reflecting the ancient Chinese tradition of using ink brushes rather than graphite pencils.
- While 鉛筆盒 literally means 'lead pencil box', the word 鉛 (lead) is used even though modern pencils use graphite, mimicking the English 'pencil' which comes from 'plumbago'.
- Despite the word 盒 meaning 'box', many Cantonese speakers use these terms for the 'pencil cases' that are actually just zip-up fabric bags.
Example sentences for Cantonese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pencil case” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
