杯子
cup; glass; mug
bēizi
What does 杯子 mean?
杯子 (bēizi) is the everyday Mandarin noun for a drinking vessel — cup, glass, mug, or tumbler, regardless of material. The 子 here is a noun suffix (toneless), not a separate word; it turns the single character 杯 into a stand-alone everyday noun, the same way 桌 becomes 桌子 (table). Unlike English, Chinese does not separate 'cup' from 'glass' from 'mug' — 杯子 covers them all, and you specify the material only when it matters: 玻璃杯 (glass cup), 纸杯 (paper cup), 茶杯 (teacup). The measure word for one cup of liquid is also 杯 — note the difference between 一杯水 (a cup of water) and 一个杯子 (one cup as an object).
Character breakdown
cup; (also a measure word for cupfuls)
noun suffix (neutral tone); originally 'child / small thing'
Memory hook: 杯 has the 木 (wood) radical on the left — early cups were carved from wood.
Measure word for 杯子
Example sentences
这是我的杯子。
Zhè shì wǒ de bēizi.
This is my cup.
spoken
请给我一个杯子。
Qǐng gěi wǒ yí gè bēizi.
Please give me a cup.
spoken, polite
杯子里有水。
Bēizi lǐ yǒu shuǐ.
There's water in the cup.
neutral
我要买两个杯子。
Wǒ yào mǎi liǎng gè bēizi.
I want to buy two cups.
spoken
Common phrases with 杯子
Synonyms
Specifically a teacup, often smaller and without a handle. 杯子 is the everyday cover word for any cup.
A mug — loaned from English. 杯子 is generic; 马克杯 specifies the handled, ceramic mug shape.
Don't confuse 杯子 with
杯 on its own is the measure word for cupfuls (一杯水, a cup of water). 杯子 is the physical object. Don't say 一杯子水 — say 一杯水 or 一个杯子.
瓶子 is a bottle — taller and closed at the top. 杯子 is open-topped.
盘子 is a plate. Same 子 suffix, different shape.