A wooden drinking vessel or cup carved from wood. A cup, glass, mug, or trophy; also a measure word for drinks. Wood (木) plus sound marker 不 (bù) — a cup once made from wood.
杯 alone is a measure word or bound morpheme; to mean a physical cup, add the noun suffix 子.
In Mandarin, the measure word 杯 needs a numeral before it when used with a verb; omitting 一 is unnatural in standalone sentences.
杯 contains 木 as a radical, indicating wood, but 木 alone means tree or wood.
杯 is a character that uses 木 as a semantic component, hinting that cups were originally made of wood. However, 木 by itself is a standalone character meaning 'tree' or 'wood'. They are not interchangeable: 杯 is always about cups or glasses, while 木 refers to wood or trees.
| Dimension | 杯 | 木 |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | cup, glass (measure word) | tree, wood |
| Usage | Used for containers or as a measure word | Used for material or plants |
| Example | 一杯水 (a glass of water) | 木头 (wood) |
No, 杯 alone is usually a measure word or bound morpheme; to say 'cup' as an object, use 杯子.
In Mandarin, 杯 is primarily a measure word (like 'cupful') or a bound morpheme in compounds like 茶杯. To refer to a physical cup as an object, you must add the suffix 子 to make 杯子. Using 杯 alone as a noun is unnatural.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| As measure word | 一杯茶 (a cup of tea) | 一茶杯 (if meaning 'one teacup' as object, but 一茶杯 is odd) |
| As noun | 杯子 (cup) | 杯 (alone as noun) |
This heartwarming story reveals the quiet devotion of a father. As you read, notice the repeated actions and how a simple cup of tea becomes meaningful.
老先生天天来，买一 杯 热茶。
大中听了，看那 杯 不热的茶，觉得老先生很好。
大中很高兴，做了一 杯 热茶，给老先生喝。
This short, soothing piece is about missing someone on a rainy night. The sentences are simple and repeat often, so you can practice reading while feeling the warm emotion.
我坐在桌前，在喝 一杯 茶，一 杯 热热的茶。
No questions or discussions yet. Have a question about this character/word? Be the first to ask!
