Definitions

(noun) porcelain; china; ceramics

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "瓷" derives from a phono-semantic composition, integrating the radical "瓦" for earthenware or tile with the phonetic component "次" to approximate its sound, thus semantically anchoring it to the domain of ceramic ware. This structure explicitly denotes porcelain, a high-fired ceramic material historically developed in China from kaolin clay, with the term consistently referring to this translucent and durable pottery across centuries. Its meaning has remained narrowly focused on this specific type of ceramic artistry, reflecting both the material's properties and the character's stable etymological design, which has preserved its core association without substantive alteration.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这个碗是器。

Zhège wǎn shì cíqì.

This bowl is made of porcelain.

妈妈买了一套新器。

Māma mǎile yī tào xīn cíqì.

Mom bought a new set of porcelain.

中国的器非常有名。

Zhōngguó de cíqì fēicháng yǒumíng.

Chinese porcelain is very famous.

浴室里铺着白色砖。

Yùshì lǐ pūzhe báisè cízhuān.

White ceramic tiles are laid in the bathroom.

她小心翼翼地擦拭着青花器。

Tā xiǎoxīn yìyì de cāshìzhe qīnghuā cíqì.

She carefully wiped the blue-and-white porcelain.

考古学家发现了古代的片。

Kǎogǔ xuéjiā fāxiànle gǔdài de cí piàn.

Archaeologists discovered ancient porcelain shards.

这件艺术品的原料是上好的土。

Zhè jiàn yìshùpǐn de yuánliào shì shàng hǎo de cítǔ.

The raw material for this artwork is high-quality porcelain clay.

博物馆的展柜里陈列着珍贵的宋代俑。

Bówùguǎn de zhǎnguì lǐ chénlièzhe zhēnguì de Sòng dài cí yǒng.

Precious porcelain figurines from the Song Dynasty are displayed in the museum's exhibition case.