Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 碟仔 | diézǎi | ||
| 盤子 / 盘子 | pánzi | ||
| 碟子 | diézi | /ti̯ɛ³⁵ d͡z̥ɹ̩³/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /tiɛ²¹ t͡sɹ̩⁵³/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 碟仔 | ti̍h-á | /ti(ʔ)⁴⁻²¹ a⁵³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Xiamen) /ti(ʔ)²⁴⁻² a⁵⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Quanzhou) |
Hokkien |
| 碟 | ti̍h | /tiʔ⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Xiamen) /tiap̚⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Xiamen) |
Hokkien |
In Mandarin, 盤子 is the standard term for a plate or a platter. You may also encounter the related verb 鍍 / 镀, which means to cover the surface of an object with a thin coat of another material.
What does it mean word for word?
In the Hokkien form 碟仔, the suffix 仔 (á) acts as a diminutive, indicating that the object is a small plate.
Which one should you use?
In Mandarin, 盤子 is the standard term for a plate or platter, whereas 碟子 often refers specifically to a smaller saucer or a side plate.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form дезы is used in Dungan. The forms 碟仔 and 碟 are used in Hokkien. 盤子 / 盘子 and 碟子 are used in Mandarin.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In certain contexts, such as Cantonese-influenced or Hokkien settings, 碟 can be used as a classifier (measure word) when ordering food, for example, to say 'a plate of' something.
How do you pronounce it?
ti̍h-á (/tiːp̚² tsɐi̯³⁵/)
Did you know?
- In Hokkien, the word 盼仔 (phàn-á), which sounds like the Mandarin word for plate 盤子, is used to call someone a 'fool'.
- The form дезы is used by the Dungan people, who speak a variety of Chinese influenced by Central Asian cultures.
Examples in context
- 叫一碟乾炒牛河Order a plate of beef chow funThis sentence is useful for learning how to use 碟 as a classifier when ordering food.
Example conversation
Xiaowen and Wei are preparing a snack in the kitchen.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen偉，請幫我拿個碟仔。Wěi, qǐng bāng wǒ ná gè dié zǐWei, please help me get a plate.
- 伟 Wei好的，你要大的還是小的？hǎo de, nǐ yào dà de hái shì xiǎo deOkay, do you want a large one or a small one?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen給我一個小碟仔就可以了。gěi wǒ yī gè xiǎo dié zǐ jiù kě yǐ leA small plate will be enough.
- 伟 Wei沒問題，在這裡。méi wèn tí, zài zhè lǐNo problem, here it is.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “plate” translations and entries 碟仔, 碟子, 碟仔, 碟, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 盤子, 碟, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
