Meaning of 盆
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- basin
- flower pot
- unit of volume equal to 12 斗[dou3] and 8 升[sheng1], approx 128 liters
Measure word: 個|个
How to use 盆
盆 usually means a wide, open container like a washbasin, tub, or flower pot, and it often appears in compounds such as 脸盆 (liǎnpén) and 花盆 (huāpén). It also works as a measure word for things held in a basin or pot. Example: 窗台上有一盆花。(Chuāngtái shang yǒu yì pén huā.) There is a pot of flowers on the windowsill.
盆 (pén) is built from 分 (fēn, to divide) on top of 皿 (mǐn, a dish or vessel). Picture water being divided out into a wide dish, and you have a basin.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 盆 with 皿 replaced by 血 (xuè, blood), or confuse it with 盘 (pán, plate), which also sits on 皿. Remember that 盆 is deep and holds water or soil, while 盘 is a flat plate.
盆 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
盆 pén · basin · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 盆.
| 脸盆 | liǎnpén | washbowl; basin for washing hands and face |
| 盆栽 | pénzāi | to grow (a plant) in a pot; potted plant (sometimes refers specifically to a bonsai plant) |
| 浴盆 | yùpén | bathtub |
| 金盆洗手 | jīnpénxǐshǒu | lit. to wash one's hands in a gold basin (idiom); fig. to abandon the life of an outlaw |
| 盆地 | péndì | (geography) basin; depression |
| 花盆 | huāpén | flower pot |
| 骨盆 | gǔpén | pelvis |
| 倾盆大雨 | qīngpéndàyǔ | (idiom) a downpour; rain bucketing down |
Questions about 盆
What does 盆 mean?
盆 (pén) means "basin; flower pot" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 盆?
盆 is made of 1 character: 盆 (9 strokes). That is 9 strokes in total.
Is 盆 an HSK word?
Yes. 盆 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can 盆 be used as a measure word?
Yes. You can say 一盆水 (yì pén shuǐ, a basin of water) or 两盆花 (liǎng pén huā, two pots of flowers). It measures whatever fills the basin or pot.
What does 盆地 mean in geography?
盆地 (péndì) is a low area of land surrounded by higher ground, shaped like a basin. A famous example is 四川盆地 (Sìchuān Péndì), the Sichuan Basin.