碗 (wǎn) — bowl | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A bowl — a deeper, rounder dish for food or soup, not for drinking. Compare 杯子, which is a cup/glass for liquids.

noun

bowl

Measure word · 只, 个

Easily confused

Sound + meaning

六书liùshū

形声xíngshēng

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

石宛碗

Meaning part形符xíngfú

石石shístone

Sound part声符shēngfú

宛

Same sound today

碗 combines 石 (stone) with 宛. The 石 part relates to the meaning, and 宛 gives the sound.

Appears in