Chinese word

瓷

Pronunciation

Pinyincí

Meaning

  • nounporcelain

Example

这件瓷器很漂亮。zhè jiàn cí qì hěn piào liàng

This porcelain piece is very beautiful.

Illustration for 瓷 (porcelain)

More examples

这位工匠擅长制作青瓷。zhè wèi gōng jiàng shàn cháng zhì zuò qīng cí

This craftsman is skilled at making celadon.

Core concept

Fine clay becomes hard, light-colored ware with a smooth, glassy surface after intense kiln firing.

Common phrases

  • 陶瓷táo cí

    ceramics

  • 瓷砖cí zhuān

    porcelain tile

  • 青瓷qīng cí

    celadon

Similar words

瓷器cí qì: A smooth, glossy piece of light-colored ware used for eating or decoration.
陶瓷táo cí: The general category of materials and objects produced by firing shaped clay.
陶器táo qì: Simple household ware made from shaped clay and fired, including plates and jars.

Definition in Chinese

指用高岭土等细腻黏土烧制并上釉的器具，常用来称呼白色或淡色、质地致密的瓷器类物品。zhǐ yòng gāo líng tǔ děng xì nì nián tǔ shāo zhì bìng shàng yòu de qì jù cháng yòng lái chēng hū bái sè huò dàn sè zhì dì zhì mì de cí qì lèi wù pǐn

Word origin

瓷 (cí, "porcelain") is a traditional meaning-and-sound character: 瓦 (wǎ, "pottery") points to the material, while 次 (cì, "order") supplies the phonetic element.

Usage tips

  • The material word does not by itself identify the shape or function of an object, so everyday speech often adds a noun for the item being discussed.

Related words

  • 瓷器cí qìporcelain warenoun
  • 瓷砖cí zhuānporcelain tilenoun
  • 瓷釉cí yòuporcelain glazenoun

Word lists with this word