1.
boxed; packed in a box
describing an item that comes packaged in a box, typically implying higher quality or a gift presentation
2.
sheltered; overprotected
describing a person, especially a young woman, who has been raised in a sheltered, protective environment with little exposure to the outside world
Because my father was strict, my older sister was raised as a sheltered girl.
Having been a sheltered girl, she struggled when she started living on her own.
Literally "put in a box." The literal sense (sense 1) refers to items packaged in boxes, often implying quality or gift-readiness. The figurative sense (sense 2) describes someone raised in a protected environment, kept safe from the outside world like a treasured item in a box.
Common collocations
- 箱入り娘: sheltered daughter — the most common figurative usage
- 箱入り息子: sheltered son — less common but used similarly
- 箱入りのお菓子: boxed sweets
Cultural note
The expression 箱入り娘 traditionally described daughters from good families who were carefully protected from the outside world. In modern usage, it can carry either a positive nuance (well-bred, innocent) or a slightly critical one (naive, lacking worldly experience).
Similar words
Related Words
Compare:
世間知らず (naive about the world)