箱底

xiāngdǐ

noun #37,219

Meanings

1 the bottom of a chest / trunk / suitcase
2 (figurative) one's nest egg or treasured possession kept hidden away
3 (figurative) a secret one keeps to oneself

Characters

Examples

她从箱底翻出了奶奶的旧照片。

Tā cóng xiāngdǐ fān chūle nǎinai de jiù zhàopiàn.

She dug out her grandmother's old photos from the bottom of the trunk.

这件首饰是她的箱底，从来不舍得戴。

Zhè jiàn shǒushì shì tā de xiāngdǐ, cónglái bù shěde dài.

This piece of jewelry is her treasured keepsake — she never has the heart to wear it.

Tips

culture

Beyond the literal 'bottom of the box', 箱底 carries two metaphorical layers: a 压箱底 (yā xiāng dǐ, 'pressing the bottom of the chest') item is a household's most precious possession, kept buried under everything else; and 箱底 can also stand for a secret you tuck away. The verb 压箱底 is now widely used for 'best-kept' anything — a chef's signature dish, an actor's career-best work.

Stroke Order

箱 xiāng

底 dǐ