盘子 (pán zi) — plate; dish; tray | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

The everyday word for a flat plate or dish used to hold food. 碟 is a smaller saucer-style dish; 菜 and 菜肴 are the food itself, not the plate.

noun

platedishtray

Measure word · 个

Easily confused

Derived word

构词法gòucífǎ

后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

“盘” denotes a plate or tray, and “子” completes the everyday name for it.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 盤; 盘 is its simplified writing.

般皿盤

Meaning part形符xíngfú

皿皿mǐn

Sound part声符shēngfú

般

Same sound today

The traditional form 盤 pairs 般, which gives the sound, with 皿, a vessel. This note is about 盤, not the simplified 盘.

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

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Appears in