碟 meaning and stroke order
Plate, small dish
How to write 碟, stroke by stroke
14 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 碟
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- dish
- plate
How 碟 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A flat 枼 stone 石.
Radical: 石 (stone), shared by 114 characters on this site.
How to remember 碟
碟 combines 石 (shí, stone) with 枼 (yè), which the etymology hint reads as "flat." Picture a flat piece of stone, and you have an old-style plate.
碟 refers to small dishes and saucers, and it also extends to flat round things like discs. In speech people usually say 碟子 (diézi) or use it as a measure word for a plate of food: 一碟花生 (yì dié huāshēng) a small plate of peanuts. The idiom 小菜一碟 (xiǎocài yì dié) means something is very easy.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 碟 with 蝶 (dié, butterfly), which has the same sound and right side but uses the insect radical 虫. Remember that a plate is made of stone 石, while a butterfly is a bug 虫.
Common words with 碟
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
碟 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 碟
How many strokes are in 碟?
碟 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 碟 mean?
碟 (dié) means plate, small dish. A common word with it is 光碟 (guāngdié), meaning "optical disc; compact disc".
How do you pronounce 碟?
碟 is pronounced dié, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 碟?
The radical of 碟 is 石, which carries the idea of "stone". Dictionaries list 碟 under this radical.
Is 碟 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 碟 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 碟 and 盘 (pán)?
碟 is usually a small, shallow dish or saucer, often for sauces or side dishes. 盘 (pán), as in 盘子 (pánzi), is a larger plate for main food. Both can be used as measure words for plates of food.
Why does 光碟 mean CD or DVD?
A disc is flat and round like a small plate, so 碟 was borrowed for it, and 光 (guāng, light) refers to the laser reading it. 飞碟 (fēidié), a flying saucer or frisbee, uses the same idea of a flat round shape.