盞 meaning and stroke order
Small cup or container
How to write 盞, stroke by stroke
13 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 盞
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- a small cup
- classifier for lamps
How 盞 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A small 戔 dish 皿; 戔 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 皿 (dish), shared by 28 characters on this site.
How to remember 盞
The top part 戔 means small, and the bottom 皿 is a dish or vessel, so 盞 (zhǎn) is a small dish or cup. 戔 also hints at the sound, as in 盞 zhǎn and 錢/钱 qián sharing the same piece.
Today 盞 is most often used as a measure word for lamps and lights. It also appears in written or literary phrases for a small cup of tea or wine. Example: 一盞燈 (yì zhǎn dēng), one lamp.
Common mistake: Learners often write 盞 with the radical 血 or 皿 swapped for something else, or confuse its top 戔 with 錢 (qián, money) and 淺 (qiǎn, shallow), which share the same part. Also remember it is third tone zhǎn, not zhàn like 站 (station).
Questions about 盞
How many strokes are in 盞?
盞 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 盞 mean?
盞 (zhǎn) means small cup or container.
How do you pronounce 盞?
盞 is pronounced zhǎn, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 盞?
The radical of 盞 is 皿, which carries the idea of "dish". Dictionaries list 盞 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 盞?
盞 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 盏, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Can I use 盞 for any kind of light?
Yes, 盞 works for lamps and lights in general, such as 一盞路燈 (yì zhǎn lùdēng), a streetlight. In casual speech some people use 個/个 instead, but 盞 sounds more natural and precise.
Is 盞 still used to mean cup in modern Chinese?
Only in set phrases or literary style, such as 茶盞 (cházhǎn), a teacup, or 把盞 (bǎ zhǎn), to hold a wine cup. For an everyday cup, people say 杯子 (bēizi).