册 (cè): book; booklet; volume

Meanings

1 book; booklet; volume
2 measure word for volumes/copies

Characters

册

cè

book; volume; measure word for volumes

Originally depicted bamboo strips bound together — an ancient book

Examples

这套书一共有十册。

Zhè tào shū yīgòng yǒu shí cè.

This set of books has ten volumes in total.

请拿出你们的课本第二册。

Qǐng náchū nǐmen de kèběn dì'èr cè.

Please take out volume two of your textbook.

手册上有详细的说明。

Shǒucè shàng yǒu xiángxì de shuōmíng.

The handbook has detailed instructions.

Tips

usage

册 as a measure word counts volumes: 一册书 (one volume). 手册 (shǒucè) = handbook. 画册 (huàcè) = picture album. 纪念册 (jìniàncè) = commemorative album.

Components

pictograph

册 cè

book; volume; bound bamboo slips

Pictograph of a bundle of bamboo writing strips lashed together with a cord — the original Chinese book before paper. Vertical pairs are the slips; the long horizontal is the binding string. Indexed under Kangxi #13 冂 (jiōng) by tradition via the outer framing shape. Survives in 手册, 画册, 一册.

Filed under radical 冂 (jiōng, #13) by convention. 冂 is not a separate component in 册, so no strokes are highlighted.