壳
ké · HSK 7
shell
🐚 ké guards the soft bit: a snail shell, an eggshell, the case around a thing
壳 means the hard outer shell, crust, or casing of something. The bottom part 几 acts like a base or stand holding up a covering on top — a hard layer wrapped around what is inside, like a shell or case.
壳 — 士 + 冖 + 几 (top 殼 simplified)
壳 is the simplified form of 殼, originally a pictograph of a hard outer shell or husk being struck. The full form 殼 contains 殳 (a hand holding a weapon/tool), suggesting cracking open a shell. Today 壳 means 'shell, husk, casing,' as in 贝壳 (seashell).