pánzi: 盘子 - Plate, Dish, Tray

• Keywords: panzi, pánzi, 盘子, Chinese for plate, Chinese dish, plate in Chinese, what is panzi, panzi meaning, Chinese tableware, HSK 2 vocabulary, 大盘, dapan, 接盘, jiepan, Chinese stock market term
• Summary: Discover the meaning of 盘子 (pánzi), the common Chinese word for a plate or dish. This guide goes beyond a simple translation, exploring its role in Chinese dining culture, its crucial use as a measure word (一盘菜 - a plate of food), and its surprising modern slang meanings in finance and business, such as the stock market index (大盘) or taking on a bad deal (接盘). Perfect for beginner learners looking for deep cultural and practical context.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): pánzi
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 2
• Concise Definition: A flat, shallow dish from which food is eaten or served.
• In a Nutshell: 盘子 (pánzi) is the go-to, everyday word for “plate” in Mandarin Chinese. It's one of the first words you'll learn related to food and dining. While its primary meaning is a physical object, the core character 盘 (pán) opens up a fascinating world of figurative meanings related to markets, games, and taking over responsibilities, making it a surprisingly versatile concept.

• 盘 (pán): This character is a phono-semantic compound. The bottom part, 皿 (mǐn), is the semantic radical, meaning “vessel” or “dish,” which gives the character its core meaning. The top/side part provides the sound. Visually, you can think of it as an object (like a tray or coil) sitting on top of a dish (皿).
• 子 (zi): This is a very common noun suffix in Chinese. It doesn't have a specific meaning on its own here but is attached to single-syllable words to turn them into concrete, everyday objects. You see it in words like 桌子 (zhuōzi) - table, 椅子 (yǐzi) - chair, and 筷子 (kuàizi) - chopsticks.
• Together, 盘子 (pánzi) literally means “a plate-thing,” your standard, everyday plate.

While a “plate” might seem culturally neutral, the use of 盘子 (pánzi) is deeply tied to Chinese dining etiquette, which is often communal. In a traditional Chinese meal, various dishes are brought out on large serving 盘子 (pánzi) and placed in the center of the table. Each person has their own 碗 (wǎn), or bowl, of rice, and uses their chopsticks to take food from the shared central plates. This contrasts sharply with the Western tradition of serving food on individual, large plates. The shared 盘子 reinforces the cultural values of community, sharing, and family togetherness during a meal. A very relevant modern cultural phenomenon is the 光盘行动 (guāng pán xíngdòng), or “Clean Plate Campaign.” Promoted by the government to combat food waste, this slogan encourages people to finish all the food on their plate (or in their bowl). The “光 (guāng)” means “empty” or “bare,” so it literally translates to “empty the plate action.” You will often see posters about it in restaurants across China.

This is the most common usage you'll encounter. It's used to refer to the physical object for holding food. It can refer to a dinner plate, a serving platter, or a tray.

The character 盘 (pán) by itself has evolved to mean “market,” “game,” or “situation.” This has led to several important modern slang and business terms that you will frequently hear in news and conversation.

• 大盘 (dàpán) - The Big Plate: This is the universal term for the general stock market index, like the S&P 500 or the Dow Jones. When you hear someone say “今天大盘涨了 (jīntiān dàpán zhǎng le),” they mean “The market went up today.”
• 接盘 (jiēpán) - To Take Over the Plate: This popular slang term means to take over a failing project, a bad investment, or an undesirable situation from someone else. The person who does this is often called a 接盘侠 (jiēpánxiá), a “take-over knight,” implying they are naively rescuing someone from a bad deal.
• 盘活 (pánhuó) - To Bring the Plate to Life: This is a positive business term meaning to revitalize a stagnant asset, company, or project and make it profitable or operational again.

• Example 1:
  • 服务员，可以再给我们一个干净的盘子吗？
  • Pinyin: Fúwùyuán, kěyǐ zài gěi wǒmen yí ge gānjìng de pánzi ma?
  • English: Waiter, could you give us another clean plate?
  • Analysis: A very common and practical sentence you would use in a restaurant.
• Example 2:
  • 这盘子水果沙拉看起来真新鲜。
  • Pinyin: Zhè pánzi shuǐguǒ shālā kànqǐlái zhēn xīnxiān.
  • English: This plate of fruit salad looks really fresh.
  • Analysis: Here, 盘子 is used to refer to the contents on the plate, similar to how we'd say “a plate of…” in English.
• Example 3:
  • 你洗碗的时候，小心别把盘子打破了。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ xǐwǎn de shíhou, xiǎoxīn bié bǎ pánzi dǎpò le.
  • English: Be careful not to break the plate when you're washing the dishes.
  • Analysis: This example shows 盘子 as a simple object in a daily chore.
• Example 4:
  • 我们点一盘饺子一起吃吧。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen diǎn yì pán jiǎozi yìqǐ chī ba.
  • English: Let's order a plate of dumplings to share.
  • Analysis: Crucial grammar point! Here, 盘 (pán) is used as a measure word, so the 子 (zi) is dropped. This is extremely common.
• Example 5:
  • 今天的股市怎么样？大盘是红的还是绿的？
  • Pinyin: Jīntiān de gǔshì zěnmeyàng? Dàpán shì hóng de háishì lǜ de?
  • English: How's the stock market today? Is the index red or green?
  • Analysis: A perfect example of the figurative use of 大盘 (dàpán). (Note: In China, red means the market is up, and green means it's down, the opposite of the West!)
• Example 6:
  • 这个项目没人想做，最后让新来的小王接盘了。
  • Pinyin: Zhège xiàngmù méirén xiǎng zuò, zuìhòu ràng xīn lái de Xiǎo Wáng jiēpán le.
  • English: Nobody wanted to do this project, so in the end, the newcomer Little Wang was left to take it over.
  • Analysis: This shows the slang usage of 接盘 (jiēpán), implying taking on an undesirable task.
• Example 7:
  • 他花了很多钱买下那个旧工厂，希望能把它盘活。
  • Pinyin: Tā huāle hěn duō qián mǎixià nàge jiù gōngchǎng, xīwàng néng bǎ tā pánhuó.
  • English: He spent a lot of money buying that old factory, hoping to revitalize it.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the business term 盘活 (pánhuó), meaning to turn a failing asset around.
• Example 8:
  • 中国人吃饭喜欢把菜放在桌子中间的盘子里。
  • Pinyin: Zhōngguórén chīfàn xǐhuān bǎ cài fàng zài zhuōzi zhōngjiān de pánzi lǐ.
  • English: Chinese people like to put the dishes on plates in the center of the table when they eat.
  • Analysis: This sentence describes the cultural practice of communal dining.
• Example 9:
  • 吃完饭要把自己的盘子洗干净。
  • Pinyin: Chī wán fàn yào bǎ zìjǐ de pánzi xǐ gānjìng.
  • English: You have to wash your own plate after you finish eating.
  • Analysis: A simple, direct sentence about personal responsibility, useful for household contexts.
• Example 10:
  • 别浪费粮食，响应“光盘行动”。
  • Pinyin: Bié làngfèi liángshí, xiǎngyìng “guāng pán xíngdòng”.
  • English: Don't waste food; support the “Clean Plate Campaign.”
  • Analysis: Directly references the modern cultural campaign against food waste.

• 盘子 (pánzi) vs. 碟子 (diézi): This is a common point of confusion. A 盘子 is a general plate, like a dinner plate. A 碟子 (diézi) is a much smaller dish, like a saucer or a small plate used for soy sauce, vinegar, or small side dishes. Think: a 盘子 is for your main course, a 碟子 is for your dipping sauce.
• Using 盘 (pán) as a Measure Word: As seen in Example 4, when you are counting “plates of” something, you must drop the 子 (zi) and just use 盘 (pán).
  • Correct: 一盘菜 (yì pán cài) - a plate of food.
  • Incorrect: 一个盘子菜 (yí ge pánzi cài).
• Figurative Usage Context: The financial and business meanings (大盘, 接盘) are very common but are also specific jargon. A beginner should focus on mastering the literal meaning first. Using 接盘 in the wrong context would sound very strange.

• 碗 (wǎn) - Bowl. The primary vessel for rice and soup, used alongside a 盘子.
• 碟子 (diézi) - Small dish, saucer. The smaller cousin of the 盘子, used for sauces or small pickles.
• 餐具 (cānjù) - Tableware, utensils. The general category that includes plates, bowls, chopsticks, etc.
• 筷子 (kuàizi) - Chopsticks. The primary eating utensils used with a 盘子 and 碗.
• 菜 (cài) - Dish (of food), cuisine. The food that is served on a 盘子.
• 大盘 (dàpán) - The stock market index. The most common figurative term derived from 盘.
• 接盘 (jiēpán) - To take over a bad deal or burden. An essential piece of modern slang.
• 光盘行动 (guāng pán xíngdòng) - “Clean Plate Campaign”. A modern cultural movement directly involving the concept of a 盘子.