Chinese character · HSK 5
册 (cè) — “book / volume”
The character is an ancient pictogram depicting several bamboo slips (the ancient medium for writing) tied together with a horizontal string to form a book or scroll.
How to remember 册
Four vertical bamboo slips tied with a single string make an ancient book (册).
Inside the character
- 冂 (open frame) — meaning component. An open frame shape — often acts as a container or wraps around inner pieces.
- 一 (one) — meaning component. A single horizontal stroke — the simplest mark, often acting as a divider or ground line.
Where 册 comes from
An original pictogram showing strips of bamboo or wood bound together by cords, representing the earliest form of Chinese books before the invention of paper.
Words that use 册
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 注册 | zhù cè | to register / to enroll | HSK 5 |
| 手册 | shǒu cè | manual / handbook | HSK 7 |
| 画册 | huà cè | picture album | HSK 7 |
Learn 册 the visual way. InkSeal pairs every HSK 1–6 character
with an illustration like this one, plus component breakdowns, etymology, and
spaced review. The first 100 characters are free.
More characters: 卖 (mài, to sell) · 史 (shǐ, history / annals) · 壮 (zhuàng, strong / robust) — or browse the full character library.