Traditional: 冊
HSK 5

English Meaning

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📚 Example Sentences

这本书一共有三册。
Zhè běn shū yīgòng yǒu sān cè.
This book has three volumes in total.
我买了一册新的汉语词典。
Wǒ mǎi le yī cè xīn de hànyǔ cídiǎn.
I bought a new copy of a Chinese dictionary.
图书馆有很多册历史书。
Túshūguǎn yǒu hěnduō cè lìshǐ shū.
The library has many volumes of history books.
这本书有三册。
Zhè běn shū yǒu sān cè.
This book has three volumes.
我买了一册书。
Wǒ mǎi le yī cè shū.
I bought one volume of a book.

💡 Memory Tip

Imagine a bookshelf with labeled volumes: each '册' is like a separate copy or volume. The character 册 resembles bamboo slips tied together, hinting at its ancient origins as a bound set of writing materials.

📝 Usage Notes

This word is neutral in formality and commonly used in both spoken and written Chinese, especially in contexts involving publishing, sales, or library statistics. It is most frequently seen in phrases describing quantities of books, such as in sales reports or inventory counts.

📖 Grammar Points

册 is primarily used as a measure word following numerals and demonstratives (e.g., 这一册, 三册). It can also appear in compound nouns like 手册 (shǒucè, manual) or 画册 (huàcè, picture book).

🏯 Cultural Notes

In historical context, 册 originally referred to bamboo or wooden slips bound together for writing in ancient China, reflecting its long association with recorded knowledge. Today, it retains a formal or literary nuance when used in terms like 史册 (shǐcè, historical records).

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to 书 (shū, meaning 'book' as a general noun), 册 specifically functions as a measure word for counting books, whereas 书 refers to the book itself as an object or content. For example, '一本书' means 'one book', but '一册' emphasizes one volume or copy.

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