寿材

壽材
shòucái
noun

Measure Word

Meanings

  1. 1 coffin (esp. one prepared in advance during the owner's lifetime)

Examples

Yéye bāshí suì nà nián jiù bèi hǎo le shòucái.
Grandpa had his coffin ready the year he turned eighty.
Zài nóngcūn, gěi lǎorén zhǔnbèi shòucái shì xiàoshùn de biǎoxiàn.
In the countryside, preparing a coffin for the elderly is seen as filial piety.

Tips

culture
寿 'longevity' here is a euphemism: 寿材, 寿衣 (burial clothes), and 寿 all frame death with an auspicious word. Preparing one's own 寿材 was traditionally a sign of a long, settled life. Synonym 棺材 is the plain, neutral word.

Stroke Order

寿 shòu
cái