About
The character "盘", whose traditional form is "盤", originally meant a shallow dish or plate, a sense directly indicated by the "皿" component meaning vessel found in both forms. The traditional character structurally incorporates "般" above "皿", while the simplified form condenses this to "舟" over "皿". From this concrete noun denoting a container, the semantic range broadened to include any flat, circular surface such as a tray or a game board, subsequently giving rise to verbal meanings like to coil or to wind, evoking the image of something arranged circularly on such a surface. Further extension led to abstract senses involving thorough examination or calculation, as in "盘问" (to interrogate) or "盘点" (to inventory), and it continues to be used in modern compounds such as "硬盘" for hard disk.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
桌子上放着一个盘子。
她小心地端着盘子。
我的键盘很好用。
他正在盘问那个嫌疑人。
这条蛇盘在树上。
我们需要盘点库存。
她把头发盘成一个髻。
经过仔细盘算，他决定投资。