碟仔
diézǎi
In Mandarin, "plate" can be expressed through several forms. The default form is 碟仔 (diézǎi). Wiktionary also lists 盤子 / 盘子 (pánzi) and 碟子 (diézi).
Meaning: flat dish (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mandarin | 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 |
The term refers to a flat dish used for serving food. While 盤子 is the standard general term for any plate or dish, other forms like 碟子 or 碟 are used for smaller or flatter varieties.
Which one should you use?
盤子 (pánzi) is the general term for a plate or dish. In contrast, 碟子 (diézi) specifically refers to a smaller, flatter plate or saucer.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Northern Mandarin dialect, people often refer to a plate as 碟子. The forms дезы and 碟仔 are specific to Dungan and Hokkien respectively.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When ordering food, 碟 (dié) functions as a classifier or measure word for portions of food served on a plate.
How do you pronounce it?
ti̍h-á (/tiːp̚² tsɐi̯³⁵/)
Did you know?
- In the Hokkien dialect, a word sounding like the Mandarin word for plate 盤 is used to call someone a 'fool'.
- Dungan, a language based on Mandarin but spoken in Central Asia, uses the specific form дезы for plate, reflecting its unique historical evolution.
Examples in context
- 叫一碟乾炒牛河Order a plate of beef chow funThis sentence is useful for seeing how to use 碟 as a measure word for food portions.
- 给我一个碟子。Give me a plate.
Example conversation
Yuting and Zhiqiang are preparing a snack in the kitchen.
- 雨婷 Yuting志强，你有看到我的碟仔嗎？Zhìqiáng, nǐ yǒu kàndào wǒ de dié zǎi ma?Zhiqiang, have you seen my small plate?
- 志强 Zhiqiang在洗碗槽裡面。Zài xǐwǎn cáo lǐmiàn.It is in the sink.
- 雨婷 Yuting我想用這個碟仔裝水果。Wǒ xiǎng yòng zhège dié zǎi zhuāng shuǐguǒ.I want to use this small plate for fruit.
- 志强 Zhiqiang好的，我幫你洗乾淨。Hǎo de, wǒ bāng nǐ xǐ gānjìng.Okay, I will wash it clean for you.
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.
