盒 (hé) is a Chinese character meaning “box”. It is written from 合 (to close; to join together) and 皿 (dish; vessel), one above the other, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “box; case”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
合 + 皿
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: IDS 现代字形拆分 ⿱合皿（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：合 6 画 + 皿 5 画 = 11 画；合 hé 与 盒 hé 现代读音一致）
Memory aid
A dish (皿) with something that closes (合) on top of it — a container you can shut with a lid: a box.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 盒子hé zibox; case盒 = hé
- 饭盒fàn hélunch box盒 = hé
Go deeper
All readings
box; case
box; case; small container with a lid
有盖、可以开合的盛放东西的器物，如饭盒、盒子。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 盒子hé zibox; case盒 = hé
- 饭盒fàn hélunch box盒 = hé
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 盒 mean?
盒 (hé) means box; case; small container with a lid.
How do you pronounce 盒?
It is pronounced hé.
What parts is 盒 made of?
合 (to close; to join together) and 皿 (dish; vessel), one above the other. The recorded source is: IDS 现代字形拆分 ⿱合皿（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：合 6 画 + 皿 5 画 = 11 画；合 hé 与 盒 hé 现代读音一致）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 盒 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 盒?
皿. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 盒?
Common ones are 盒子 and 饭盒. The reading of 盒 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.