盘 meaning and stroke order
Tray; plate; dish; (finance) (bound form) market prices; (computing) (bound form) disk
How to write 盘, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 盘
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- tray; plate; dish
- (finance) (bound form) market prices
- (computing) (bound form) disk
- to coil (a rope, pigtail etc)
- to check; to examine; to investigate
- to transfer; to sell (property)
How 盘 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Dish.
皿 gives the meaning and 般 hints at the sound.
Radical: 皿 (dish), shared by 28 characters on this site.
How to remember 盘
The top part 舟 (zhōu, boat) sits on 皿 (mǐn, dish or vessel), so picture a flat, boat-shaped dish resting on a stand. That wide, flat container is a 盘 (pán), a tray or plate.
盘 (pán) appears most often in words for flat or round things: 盘子 (pánzi) plate, 键盘 (jiànpán) keyboard, 硬盘 (yìngpán) hard disk, 方向盘 (fāngxiàngpán) steering wheel. It also works as a measure word for dishes of food and games of chess. Example: 来一盘饺子。(Lái yì pán jiǎozi.) One plate of dumplings, please.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 盘 (pán) with 盆 (pén, basin), which also has 皿 at the bottom but 分 on top and a different tone and vowel. A 盘 is flat like a plate, while a 盆 is deep like a washbasin.
Common words with 盘
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 盘子 | pánzi | tray; plate | HSK 4 |
| 光盘 | guāngpán | compact disc (CD); DVD; CD-ROM | HSK 4 |
| 键盘 | jiànpán | keyboard | HSK 5 |
| 硬盘 | yìngpán | hard disk | HSK 7-9 |
| 方向盘 | fāngxiàngpán | steering wheel | HSK 7-9 |
| 磁盘 | cípán | (computer) disk | HSK 7-9 |
| 盘算 | pánsuan | to plot; to scheme | HSK 7-9 |
| 算盘 | suànpán | abacus; plan | HSK 7-9 |
| 地盘 | dìpán | domain; territory under one's control | |
| 盘问 | pánwèn | to interrogate; to cross-examine | |
| 盘旋 | pánxuán | to spiral; to circle | |
| 托盘 | tuōpán | tray; salver | |
| 罗盘 | luópán | compass | |
| 棋盘 | qípán | chessboard |
盘 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 盘
How many strokes are in 盘?
盘 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 盘 mean?
盘 (pán) means tray; plate; dish; (finance) (bound form) market prices; (computing) (bound form) disk. A common word with it is 盘子 (pánzi), meaning "tray; plate".
How do you pronounce 盘?
盘 is pronounced pán, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 盘?
The radical of 盘 is 皿, which carries the idea of "dish". Dictionaries list 盘 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 盘?
The traditional form of 盘 is 盤. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 盘 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 盘 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 盘 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 盘子 and 碟子?
Both mean plate or dish. 盘子 (pánzi) usually refers to a larger plate or tray, while 碟子 (diézi) is a small saucer or side dish, though usage varies by region.
Can 盘 be used as a verb?
Yes. It can mean to coil, as in 盘起头发 (pánqǐ tóufa) to coil up one's hair, or to check and examine, as in 盘问 (pánwèn) to question closely. In 盘算 (pánsuan) it means to calculate or plan something in your mind.