Chinese Vocabulary: Kitchenware and Table
Learn Chinese words related to kitchenware and table items, like dishes, cutlery and more for your everyday conversation.
刀 (dāo)
knife
The Chinese word for knife, '刀', is usually used in the context of cutlery or tools for cutting. It can be used in compound words to denote specific types of knives, such as 餐刀 - 'meal knife' or a 'table knife'. Like other Chinese nouns, it can be combined with numbers and measure words to indicate quantity.
Example sentences with 刀 →杯子 (bēi zi)
cup
The Chinese word for 'cup' is '杯子' (bēizi). It is a common and everyday word used to refer any type of cup or mug intended for drinking beverages. Like in English, it can also be used in compound words or phrases for specific types of cups or mugs.
沙拉 (shālā)
salad
In Chinese, the word '沙拉' is derived from English and is used to refer to a dish that primarily consists of mixed pieces of food, typically vegetables or fruits. However, it can also be used metaphorically in sentences to express the mixing of elements.
Example sentences with 沙拉 →瓶子 (píng zi)
bottle
The Chinese word for 'bottle' is '瓶子'. It is used the same way as it is in English, i.e., to refer to a container with a neck that is narrower than the body and a mouth that can be plugged, corked, or capped. It can be used in several contexts, such as a bottle of water (一瓶水), a bottle of wine (一瓶酒), etc.
Example sentences with 瓶子 →碗 (wǎn)
bowl
In Chinese, '碗' (pronounced as 'wǎn') is used to refer to a round, deep dish or container typically used to hold food, or the contents of such a dish. It's used in much the same way as 'bowl' in English, but it can also represent a measure word for counting servings of food.
Example sentences with 碗 →菜 (cài)
dish
In Chinese, '菜' is used to describe a prepared item of food or a type of food served as part of a meal. This includes all types of dishes such as main courses, side dishes, and dessert dishes. Just as in English, '菜' can be included in compound words to refer to specific types of dishes, such as '鱼菜' (fish dish).