Chinese word

瓷器

Pronunciation

Pinyincí qì

Meaning

  • nounporcelain

Example

我们家的瓷器是祖母留下的。wǒ men jiā de cí qì shì zú mǔ liú xià de

The porcelain in our home was left by our grandmother.

Illustration for 瓷器 (porcelain)

More examples

景德镇的瓷器以精湛的手工著称。jǐng dé zhèn de cí qì yǐ jīng zhàn de shǒu gōng zhù chēng

Jingdezhen porcelain is known for its exquisite craftsmanship.

Core concept

Fired clay with a glassy glaze, shaped into useful vessels or display pieces.

Common phrases

  • 景德镇瓷器jǐng dé zhèn cí qì

    Jingdezhen porcelain

  • 手工瓷器shǒu gōng cí qì

    handmade porcelain

  • 瓷器工厂cí qì gōng chǎng

    porcelain factory

Similar words

磁器cí qì: White, hard ceramic ware made by firing at high temperatures for daily use and art.
陶器táo qì: Clay ware fired at relatively low temperatures that remains somewhat soft and absorbent.
陶瓷táo cí: The broad category of fired ceramic materials used for making craft and industrial products.

Definition in Chinese

以细质陶土高温烧成、表面施釉并显光泽的器皿，既可指日常餐具也可指工艺装饰品。yǐ xì zhì táo tǔ gāo wēn shāo chéng biǎo miàn shī yòu bìng xiǎn guāng zé de qì mǐn jì kě zhǐ rì cháng cān jù yě kě zhǐ gōng yì zhuāng shì pǐn

Word origin

瓷 (cí, "porcelain") identifies the refined ceramic, while 器 (qì, "vessel") extends the word to objects formed from it, including both useful and ornamental pieces.

Usage tips

  • The familiar English phrase fine china carries the same material association, but it usually points to tableware, whereas this Chinese term also comfortably covers decorative pieces.

Related words

  • 瓷器厂cí qì chǎngporcelain factorynoun
  • 瓷器店cí qì diànporcelain shopnoun

Word lists with this word