紫贝

紫貝

zǐbèi

noun

Measure Word

一只紫贝 zhī

Meanings

1 purple cowrie
2 tiger cowrie (Mauritia arabica and related species)

Characters

Examples

HSK 7-9

紫贝的壳洁白，有紫色斑纹。

Zǐbèi de ké jiébái, yǒu zǐsè bānwén.

The purple cowrie's shell is white with purple markings.

HSK 7-9

古代紫贝曾作为货币使用。

Gǔdài zǐbèi céng zuòwéi huòbì shǐyòng.

In ancient times, purple cowries were used as currency.

Tips

culture

Cowrie shells (贝) were among China's earliest currency - which is why characters for money (财, 货, 贵, 贫) all contain the 贝 radical. 紫贝 was prized for its size and markings.

Stroke Order

紫 zǐ

贝 bèi