盘子

盘子 (pánzi) is the noun for a plate or shallow dish, the kind used to serve food on a dinner table. The 子 is a noun-forming suffix with no separate meaning. Two things English speakers should note: first, 盘子 can also serve as a measure word for a dish of food — 一盘子菜 ('a plate of food') — though 一盘菜 (dropping 子) is more common in that measure usage.

Second, Chinese kitchens distinguish 盘子 (flat plate, for stir-fries and main dishes) from 碗 (wǎn, bowl, for rice and soup) and 碟子 (diézi, small saucer for sauces and snacks). When ordering at a restaurant, dishes come on 盘子; rice comes in 碗. Common phrase: 洗盘子 ('wash the dishes').