盘 pán tray
tray; plate; measure word for dishes; disk
How to remember 盘: 舟 boat + 皿 dish = tray. On the rocking boat the waiter tries to carry every dish at once and nearly drops the whole tray.
Component breakdown
盘 = 舟 boat + 皿 dish
- 舟 boat
- 皿 dish
On the rocking boat the waiter tries to carry every dish at once and nearly drops the whole tray.
How it is used
- A flat plate/dish, and its measure word: 盘子 (pánzi) plate, 一盘菜 (yì pán cài) a plate of food.
- Extended to disc-shaped or coiling things: 光盘 (guāngpán) CD, 硬盘 (yìngpán) hard disk, 方向盘 (fāngxiàngpán) steering wheel, 盘旋 (pánxuán) to circle/spiral.
- Also 'to reckon/scheme': 盘算 (pánsuan) to calculate in one's mind, 算盘 (suànpán) abacus.
Words with 盘
Example sentences
- 这个盘子很脏。 Zhège pánzi hěn zāng.This plate is very dirty.
- 盘子里有一片面包。 Pánzi lǐ yǒu yī piàn miànbāo.There's a slice of bread on the plate.
- 他在敲打键盘。 Tā zài qiāodǎ jiànpán.He's typing on the keyboard.