TongTong
Sign in

汤匙 (tāng chí) — soup spoon; tablespoon (unit of measurement in cooking, approx. 15 ml)

Definition

noun
soup spoontablespoon (unit of measurement in cooking, approx. 15 ml)
Measure word · 把

Examples

  • 汤匙。
    Qǐng bǎ tāng chí fàng zài wǎn páng biān.
    Please put the soup spoon next to the bowl.
  • 汤匙。
    Jiā yì tāng chí táng jiù gòu le.
    One tablespoon of sugar is enough.
  • 汤匙。
    Yòng tāng chí hē tāng bǐ yòng kuài zi fāng biàn.
    Using a soup spoon is more convenient than using chopsticks for drinking soup.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

汤tāngsoup
匙chíspoon

汤 names the soup it is used for, and 匙 is the spoon.

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 湯; 汤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
昜
昜yáng湯tāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For 汤, the shape explained is 湯: 氵 is water, and 昜 gives the sound.

Open 汤 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
匕匕bǐspoon
Sound part声符shēngfú
是
是shì匙chí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

匙 is made of 匕, meaning spoon, and 是, giving a sound hint.

Open 匙 →
Appears in
Kitchenware & Tableware

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.