📗 Beginner — frequent in early HSK exams
Meaning
Classifier for cup-shaped containers and beverages.
🏮 Cultural Story
中文 Chinese
"杯"是生活中最常用的量词之一。"一杯茶"、"一杯酒"——中国人社交离不开杯子。有趣的是，古代的"杯"和现代的很不一样。最早的杯子是用骨头或竹子做的，贵族用玉杯或青铜杯。唐代诗人李白特别爱喝酒，他的诗里"杯"字出现了几百次！"举杯邀明月，对影成三人"——一个人、一杯酒、月亮和影子，成了四个"人"。这就是中国式的浪漫。另外注意："杯"只用于装液体的容器，不能说"一个杯"（那是量词错误）。
English
**杯 (bēi)** is one of life's most essential classifiers. "A cup of tea," "a cup of wine" — Chinese social life revolves around cups. Ancient cups were made of bone or bamboo; nobles used jade or bronze. The Tang poet Li Bai loved his wine — the character 杯 appears hundreds of times in his poems! "Raising my cup, I invite the bright moon" — one person, one cup, the moon and shadow make four. That's Chinese-style romance. Note: 杯 is only for liquid-filled containers.
💡 Memory Tip
杯 is simple — it's for anything in a cup or glass. Cheers!
Examples
Common Nouns Used With
Video Examples
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YouGlish
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Reverso Context
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Classifier for cup-shaped containers and beverages.