皿 (mǐn): vessel; dish; utensil (a cover…

Meanings

1 vessel; dish; utensil (a cover term for bowls, plates, and cups)

Characters

皿

mǐn

vessel; dish

Examples

实验室里摆满了各种器皿。

Shíyànshì lǐ bǎi mǎn le gèzhǒng qìmǐn.

The lab was filled with all kinds of vessels.

这些古代器皿非常珍贵。

Zhèxiē gǔdài qìmǐn fēicháng zhēnguì.

These ancient vessels are extremely precious.

Tips

usage

In modern Chinese 皿 almost always appears bound inside the compound 器皿 (qìmǐn, vessels / utensils). On its own it is rare. As a radical it sits at the bottom of containers: 盆 (basin), 盘 (plate), 盒 (box), 盐 (salt), 益 (overflow → benefit).

history

The radical's job inside compounds is consistent: anything related to dishes, basins, or measuring containers is built on top of 皿.

Components

pictograph

皿 mǐn

vessel; dish

Pictograph of a footed bowl or dish viewed from the side — the bottom horizontal is the base, the open top holds food, and the side strokes are the vessel walls. This same silhouette appears as the bottom radical in 盆, 盘, 盐, 益, anchoring all container chars.

Radical

Vessel Kangxi #108

Productive bottom-position radical for containers. Reliable meaning clue: 盆, 盘, 盒, 盖, 盐, 益, 盗, 盛, 盘 all sit on a 皿 base, signalling that something is being held, displayed, or piled in a vessel. Strong shape — visually it looks like a bowl with feet.