盅 (zhōng) - A small cup or bowl without a handle & a small container for drinking tea or alcohol

盅Tone 1

zhōng ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

志

盅 · zhōng

A small cup or bowl without a handle;

a small container for drinking tea or alcohol;

also refers to something hollow or empty.

A small cup or bowl without a handlea small container for drinking tea or alcoholalso refers to something hollow or empty.

Usage highlights

Tea cupWine cupSmall cupPorcelain cupMedicinal cupOne cup of tea

Synonyms

  • 杯— cup, glass, mug
  • 盏— small cup, especially for tea

Antonyms

  • 壶— pot, kettle (larger container)
  • 瓶— bottle (taller container)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He drank a cup of tea (一盅茶).
  • She poured wine into a small cup (酒盅).
  • This is a traditional Chinese tea cup (茶盅).
  • The medicine is taken in small doses using a cup (药盅).

Collocations

  • Tea cup(茶盅)
  • Wine cup(酒盅)
  • Small cup(小盅)
  • Porcelain cup(瓷盅)
  • Medicinal cup(药盅)
  • One cup of tea(一盅茶)

Idioms

  • Hollow and useless(盅盅无用)
  • Empty as a cup(虚若盅盅)
  • Tea ceremony cup(茶道盅器)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Traditionally used in Chinese tea culture for drinking tea, especially in Gongfu tea ceremonies.
  • Often made of porcelain, clay, or ceramic materials with cultural significance in traditional rituals.
  • The character's structure with 'middle' inside 'bowl' suggests a container of moderate size.

FAQ