杯 bēi — cup; a measure word
桌上放着一杯热气腾腾的咖啡。Zhuō shàng fàng zhe yì bēi rè qì téng téng de kā fēi.A cup of steaming coffee is on the table.
Common words: 杯子 (bēi zi)、干杯 (gān bēi)、奖杯 (jiǎng bēi)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "cup"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "cup", including 杯 (bēi), 碗 (wǎn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "cup" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 杯 (bēi), 碗 (wǎn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span bēi, wǎn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 杯 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 杯 bēicup; a measure wordUseful words: 杯子, 干杯
- 碗 wǎnbowl; cupUseful words: 饭碗, 碗公
Common words for these 2 "cup" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 杯 (bēi) — so "cup" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "cup".
碗 wǎn — bowl; cup
吃完饭，我帮妈妈洗碗。Chī wán fàn, wǒ bāng mā ma xǐ wǎn.After the meal, I help Mom wash the dishes.
Common words: 饭碗 (fàn wǎn)、碗公 (wǎn gōng)、海碗 (hǎi wǎn)
All 2 characters
Open 杯、碗 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.