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甌 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
甌ōubowl, cup; small trayx, 15 strokes, radical 瓦
ōu(ou1) T1
  1. 1bowl, cup; small tray
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

甌ōu(ou1)

The character 甌 (ōu) refers to a bowl or cup, often used to denote a small tray or dish. It is commonly used in contexts involving food or serving, highlighting its functional role in daily life as a vessel for holding items.

Strokes15Radical瓦
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, serving food in small bowls or trays is a common practice during meals, reflecting the importance of communal dining and sharing dishes among family and friends.

Memory Tip

Imagine a grand banquet where everyone is served soup in elegant bowls. The character 甌 resembles a bowl with its rounded shape, and the 'ōu' sound can be recalled by envisioning someone saying 'Oh!' as they admire the beautiful bowls on the table.

Meanings of 甌

ōu(ou1)
1bowl, cup; small tray
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 甌

甌Simplified
15Strokes
瓦Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 甌

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Podcast: 甌

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 甌

Usage Notes

While 甌 is not as commonly used in everyday conversation, it may appear in formal contexts or literature. Be careful not to confuse it with similar characters like 碗 (wǎn), which specifically means 'bowl.'

HSK Study Tips

Although 甌 is not included in the HSK vocabulary, learners should focus on recognizing its components and related words like 碗 (bowl) and 杯 (cup) to build their vocabulary around dining and kitchen items.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 甌 with 碗 (wǎn) due to their similar meanings. A common error is saying '我有一个甌' (wǒ yǒu yīgè ōu) when referring to a bowl of rice; the correct term should be '碗'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 甌

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Etymology of 甌

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

pottery

Semantic (meaning)瓦
+
Phonetic (sound)區
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 甌

  1. 1The meaning half瓦 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half區 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaypottery
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 甌? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 甌?

Decomposition of 甌

IDS Structure⿰區瓦
甌Full Character
=
區qu1
left
瓦wa3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 甌?

How to say bowl, cup; small tray in Chinese

“bowl, cup; small tray” in Chinese is甌ōu

The character 甌 (ōu) refers to a bowl or cup, often used to denote a small tray or dish. It is commonly used in contexts involving food or serving, highlighting its functional role in daily life as a vessel for holding items.

When to use 甌

While 甌 is not as commonly used in everyday conversation, it may appear in formal contexts or literature. Be careful not to confuse it with similar characters like 碗 (wǎn), which specifically means 'bowl.'

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 甌 with 碗 (wǎn) due to their similar meanings. A common error is saying '我有一个甌' (wǒ yǒu yīgè ōu) when referring to a bowl of rice; the correct term should be '碗'.

Write 甌

甌

Practice writing 甌 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 甌

Words Containing This Character5
瓯ōuold name for Wenzhou City 溫州市|温州市[Wēn​zhōu​shì] in Zhejiang 浙江[Zhè​jiāng]甌
金瓯Ca Mau, Vietnam金甌
建瓯Jian'ou county level city in Nanping 南平[Nán​píng] Fujian建甌
建瓯市Jian'ou county level city in Nanping 南平[Nán​píng] Fujian建甌市
瓯海区Ouhai district of Wenzhou city 溫州市|温州市[Wēn​zhōu​shì], Zhejiang甌海區
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 瓯 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 甌

No, it is more often found in literary contexts or specific discussions about utensils.

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