How to Write 椁 (guǒ) — Meaning “Outer coffin”

Picture the left 木 as a tree and the right 享 as a person enjoying a meal inside a wooden box. This odd image helps recall that 椁 is an outer coffin, though the person is not really enjoying it.

The left radical 木 should be narrow, with the horizontal stroke crossing the vertical near the top. The right part 享 has a square top and a vertical stroke that goes through the middle; make sure the whole character is balanced left to right.

柴 (chái) has 木 on top and 此 below, meaning firewood. 栓 (shuān) has 木 on left and 全 on right, meaning a bolt or plug. 椁 has 木 on left and 享 on right, and specifically means an outer coffin.

椁 is rarely used alone in everyday speech; it appears mainly in historical or archaeological discussions about ancient burial customs. For example, the word 棺椁 refers to the inner coffin (棺) and outer coffin (椁) together, common in descriptions of elite tombs.

Common words containing 椁 include: 棺椁 (guān guǒ) — Inner and outer coffins; 外椁 (wài guǒ) — outer coffin; 木椁 (mù guǒ) — outer wooden coffin.