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器皿 (qì mǐn) — household utensils, tableware, or containers (general term for bowls, dishes, cups, etc.)

Definition

A formal, written word for 'household containers and tableware' (bowls, dishes, cups). It is a general collective term, not a specific everyday object — in daily speech people usually name the specific item (碗, 盘子) instead of saying 器皿.

noun
household utensilstablewareor containers (general term for bowls, dishes, cups, etc.)
Measure word · 件

Examples

  • 器皿。
    Zhè jiā chāo shì mài gè zhǒng qì mǐn.
    This supermarket sells all kinds of household utensils.
  • 器皿。
    Wǒ jiā yǒu hěn duō táo cí qì mǐn.
    My family has a lot of ceramic containers.
  • 器皿。
    Qǐng bǎ zhè xiē qì mǐn xǐ gān jìng.
    Please wash these dishes clean.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

器qìutensil
皿mǐnvessel

器 and 皿 both refer to vessels, so together they name household utensils.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

The origin of 器 is uncertain; one traditional account reads the whole shape as a scene of guarding over four vessels.

Open 器 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 皿 is a drawing of an empty vessel, like a chalice, with the handles joined together in the modern form.

Appears in
Kitchenware & Tableware

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