杯
请给我一杯水。
Please give me a cup of water.
A small open container, typically cylindrical in shape, used for drinking liquids.
她用杯子喝咖啡。
She drinks coffee with a cup.
这个杯子很漂亮。
This cup is very beautiful.
杯 can also refer to a trophy or award shaped like a cup, e.g., 奖杯 (trophy cup).
A unit of measurement for liquids, equal to half a pint.
医生建议每天喝八杯水。
The doctor recommends drinking eight cups of water a day.
Commonly used in dietary guidelines.
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Measure Word Usage
杯 is a measure word for liquids. Always pair it with a number and noun, e.g., 两杯茶 (two cups of tea).
Gold Rule
Plurality
杯 does not change form for plurality. Use 一杯 (one cup), 两杯 (two cups), etc., to indicate quantity.
Word Origin
From Old Chinese *pˤə, related to Proto-Sino-Tibetan *pəw (cup, vessel).
Usage Notes
杯 is often used as a measure word for liquids in Chinese, e.g., 一杯水 (one cup of water). It can also be used metaphorically in phrases like 杯水车薪 (a drop in the bucket).