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盘 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
盘pánplateHSK 6, q, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #2151, Hard
盘pándishHSK 6, q, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #2151, Hard
盘pántrayHSK 6, q, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #2151, Hard
盘pánboardHSK 6, q, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #2151, Hard
盘pánto buildHSK 6, q, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #2151, Hard
盘pánto coilHSK 6, q, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #2151, Hard
盘pánto checkHSK 6, q, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #2151, Hard
盘pánto examineHSK 6, q, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #2151, Hard
盘pánto transfer (property)HSK 6, q, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #2151, Hard
盘pánto make overHSK 6, q, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #2151, Hard
盘pánclassifier for food: dish, helpingHSK 6, q, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #2151, Hard
盘pánclassifier for coils of wireHSK 6, q, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #2151, Hard
盘pánclassifier for games of chessHSK 6, q, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #2151, Hard
盘pánhard drive (computing)HSK 6, unknown, 11 strokes, radical 皿, rank #2151, Hard
pán(pan2) T2
  1. 1plate
  2. 2dish
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

盘(盤)pán(pan2)

The character 盘 (pán) primarily refers to a plate, dish, or tray used for serving food. It can also denote a board or a means to organize items, such as a hard drive in computing. In broader contexts, it implies the act of examining, checking, or transferring property.

Strokes11Radical皿Frequency#2151DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese dining culture, the presentation of food on a 盘 (pán) is significant, as it reflects the host's care and attention. Serving meals on beautiful trays is a common practice during festive occasions.

Memory Tip

Imagine a large, flat plate (盘) filled with delicious food that you carefully check before serving. The open shape of the character resembles a plate, and the sound 'pán' can remind you of 'pan'—think of cooking in a pan.

Meanings of 盘

pán(pan2)
1plate
2dish
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 盘

盘Simplified
盤Traditional
11Strokes
皿Radical
量词liàngcímeasure word (mw.)Part of Speech
#2151Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L6IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1

Podcast: 盘

JasonAmy

Podcast: 盘

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AI Study Notes for 盘

Quick Contrast

盘 (pán) vs 碟 (dié) — use 盘 for larger serving dishes or trays, while 碟 refers specifically to smaller plates or saucers.

Usage Notes

Be mindful that 盘 can also function as a classifier for specific items like dishes or coils, which may lead to confusion in casual conversation. It's more commonly used in informal contexts, but can appear in formal settings when discussing food or property.

HSK Study Tips

While 盘 is not included in the HSK levels, it connects to HSK words related to food and dining. Focus on its various meanings and contexts, especially when dealing with food-related vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 盘 with 碟, incorrectly using them interchangeably. For example, saying '我想要一个盘子' (I want a small plate) when they mean '碟子' (small plate) is a common error.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 盘

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Etymology of 盘

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Simplified form of 盤. Phonosemantic compound. 皿 represents the meaning and 般 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

dish

Semantic (meaning)皿
+
Phonetic (sound)般
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 盘

Simplified form of 盤. Phonosemantic compound. 皿 represents the meaning and 般 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half皿 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half般 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaydish
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 盘? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 盘?

Decomposition of 盘

IDS Structure⿱舟皿
盘Full Character
=
舟zhou1
top
皿min3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 盘?

How to say plate in Chinese

“plate” in Chinese is盘pán

The character 盘 (pán) primarily refers to a plate, dish, or tray used for serving food. It can also denote a board or a means to organize items, such as a hard drive in computing. In broader contexts, it implies the act of examining, checking, or transferring property.

When to use 盘

Be mindful that 盘 can also function as a classifier for specific items like dishes or coils, which may lead to confusion in casual conversation. It's more commonly used in informal contexts, but can appear in formal settings when discussing food or property.

盘 or something close to it

盘 (pán) vs 碟 (dié) — use 盘 for larger serving dishes or trays, while 碟 refers specifically to smaller plates or saucers.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 盘 with 碟, incorrectly using them interchangeably. For example, saying '我想要一个盘子' (I want a small plate) when they mean '碟子' (small plate) is a common error.

Write 盘

盘

Practice writing 盘 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 盘

盘 functions as a measure word. Place it between a number/demonstrative and the noun it counts (一本书, 这个人). Different categories of nouns require different measure words. It carries 14 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons1
Exercise 1 of 5

Complete the Sentence

受热气体通过水中的____管输送。

The heated gas is piped through a coil surrounded by water.

Common Confusions with 盘

盘vs版
bǎn

Different radical but visually similar.

Exercise 1 of 1

Spot the Difference

Which character means "plate"?

or

Usage Notes for 盘

Misuse of 盘 in contextCommon Error

Learners often confuse 盘 when referring to food versus its use in computing.

1

我喜欢这个盘子。

I like this plate.

2

我需要一个新的硬盘。

I need a new hard drive.

Exercise 1 of 1

Fill in the Blank

我喜欢这个____子。

I like this plate.

Example Sentences for 盘 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
受热气体通过水中的盘管输送。

shòu rè qì tǐ tōng guò shuǐ zhōng de pán guǎn shū sòng。

The heated gas is piped through a coil surrounded by water.
2
你可以将收藏的全部CD保存在电脑硬盘上。

nǐ kě yǐ jiāng shōu cáng de quán bùCD CD bǎo cún zài diàn nǎo yìng pán。

You can store your entire CD collection on the computer's hard drive.
3
你要清楚他们可能会就这起人身侵犯案毫不留情地盘问你。

nǐ yào qīng chǔ tā mén kě néng huì jiù zhè qǐ rén shēn qīn fàn àn háo bù liú qíng dì pán wèn nǐ。

You know you are liable to be cross-examined mercilessly about the assault.
4
这是我的地盘。我要你离开。

zhè shì wǒ de dì pán。 。 wǒ yào nǐ lí。

This is my territory. I want you out of here.
5
用贝壳来装点盒子、托盘、镜子甚至是花盆。

yòng bèi ké lái zhuāng diǎn hé zǐ、 、 tuō、 pán 、 jìng zǐ shèn zhì shì。

Use shells to decorate boxes, trays, mirrors or even pots.
6
他们这是在盘剥歌迷，简直是明目张胆的打劫。

tā mén zhè shì zài pán bāo gē mí， ， jiǎn zhí shì míng mù zhāng dǎn de dǎ。

They're just ripping the fans off; it's daylight robbery.
7
寄一盘新磁带过去不合算。

jì yī pán xīn cí dài guò qù bù hé suàn。

It would be uneconomical to send a brand new tape.
8
我可以用一张软盘来启动，但其他的就无能为力了。

wǒ kě yǐ yòng yī zhāng ruǎn pán lái qǐ dòng， ， dàn qí tā de jiù wú néng wéi lì。

I can boot up from a floppy disk, but that's all.
9
桌上空盘子的旁边是一堆书。

zhuō shàng kōng pán zǐ de páng biān shì yī duī shū。

On the table beside an empty plate was a pile of books.
10
期货价格在早盘深幅下跌后出现反弹，收盘时未见严重损失。

qī huò jià gé zài zǎo pán shēn fú xià diē hòu chū xiàn fǎn dàn， ， shōu pán shí wèi jiàn yán zhòng sǔn。

Futures prices recovered from sharp early declines to end with moderate losses.

Cultural Notes for 盘

💡Did you know?

在中国文化中，盘子不仅用于盛放食物，而且象征着家庭团聚和分享。在节日时，家人会围坐在一起，分享盛满食物的盘子，象征团圆与和谐。

📜Proverb

「有盘就有饭」——这句谚语强调了吃饭的基本条件，意味着只要有食物的盘子，就一定能够享受饭菜。

Word Family of 盘

Words Containing This Character20
盘pánplate盤
地盘domain地盤
盘子pánzitray盤子
硬盘yìngpánhard disk硬盤
键盘jiànpánkeyboard鍵盤
收盘market close收盤
盘问to interrogate盤問
方向盘fāngxiàngpánsteering wheel方向盤
开盘to commence trading (stock market)開盤
盘旋pánxuánto spiral盤旋
光盘guāngpáncompact disc光盤
全盘overall全盤
转盘turntable轉盤
底盘chassis底盤
盘算pánsuanto plot盤算
胎盘placenta胎盤
棋盘chessboard棋盤
盘点to take stock盤點
收盘价closing price (of share, commodity etc)收盤價
托盘tray托盤
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 盘 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 盘

Yes, aside from referring to food items like plates and dishes, 盘 is also used in the context of technology, specifically for hard drives. Furthermore, it can indicate the act of building or assembling something.

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