箱
xiāng · HSK 4
box
📦 竹 bamboo + 相 mutual/appearance = bamboo box; classifier for boxed things
Etymology: bamboo radical 竹 on top of 相 (phonetic, giving the xiāng reading). Originally a bamboo storage box. Now serves as the measure word for boxed or crated items, like 一箱书 a box of books.
箱 — bamboo radical 竹 + 相 (xiāng) phonetic
A semantic-phonetic compound. The bamboo radical 竹 on top signals the original meaning: a box or chest woven from bamboo or made of wood. The component 相 below supplies the sound 'xiāng'. Over time the meaning broadened from bamboo containers to boxes and cases of any material.