书包
shūbāo
The English phrase 'school bag' is translated into Chinese as 书包 (shūbāo).
书包 refers to a bag used by students to carry books and other supplies to school. While it literally translates to 'book bag', it is the standard term used for a student's backpack.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of 书 (shū), meaning 'book' and 包 (bāo), meaning 'bag' or 'package'.
How do you pronounce it?
shūbāo
Did you know?
- In Chinese, 包 (bāo) is used for everything from a 'school bag' to a 'bun' or 'dumpling'. The word refers to the act of wrapping or enclosing something, whether it is a textbook or a pork filling.
- The character 书 (shū) for 'book' is an ancient pictograph that originally depicted a hand holding a writing brush and a bamboo slip.
- While 书包 is the general term, students often use the term 书包带 to refer specifically to the straps, and in some regions, a very heavy bag is jokingly compared to a 'mountain' due to the intense academic workload.
Examples in context
- 我今天把书包落在教室了。I left my school bag in the classroom today.
- 我的书包很重。Wǒ de shūbāo hěn zhòng.My school bag is very heavy.
- 你的书包是什么颜色的？Nǐ de shūbāo shì shénme yánsè de?What color is your school bag?
- 请把书包放在桌子上。Qǐng bǎ shūbāo fàng zài zhuōzi shàng.Please put the school bag on the table.
Example conversation
Two students are in a classroom before class starts.
- 伟 Wei佳怡，你的书包真漂亮。Jiāyí, nǐ de shūbāo zhēn piàoliang.Jiayi, your school bag is really beautiful.
- 佳怡 Jiayi谢谢，这是我新买的。Xièxiè, zhè shì wǒ xīn mǎi de.Thanks, I just bought it.
- 伟 Wei里面装了什么？Lǐmiàn zhuāngle shénme?What is inside it?
- 佳怡 Jiayi有很多书和练习本。Yǒu hěnduō shū hé liànxíběn.There are many books and workbooks.
