Meaning
盘子 is the everyday word for a plate or dish used for serving or eating food. It refers to the flat, typically round vessel you put food on at meals. The word combines 盘 (plate/tray) with the diminutive suffix 子, making it sound more colloquial and natural in conversation.
Usage
This is the standard, neutral term for a plate in daily life. You'll hear it constantly in restaurants, homes, and anywhere food is served. Native speakers use it for everything from dinner plates to serving platters. It's often paired with measure words when counting plates or with 一 when referring to 'a plate of' food.
Examples
- 01请把盘子递给我。.Please pass me the plate.
- 02这盘菜看起来很好吃。.This dish looks delicious.
Characters
Measure words
- 个三个盘子
- 只两只盘子
Common collocations
- 一盘菜a plate/dish of food
- 洗盘子to wash dishes
- 空盘子empty plate
- 摔盘子to drop/break a plate
Origin
盘 originally meant a tray or shallow vessel. The suffix 子 is a common diminutive or noun-forming ending in Mandarin that makes words feel more concrete and colloquial.