茶碗(ちゃわん)

ちゃわん
noun
rice bowl; tea bowl
food
1. rice bowl
A bowl used for eating rice. Each family member typically has their own designated rice bowl.
茶碗(ちゃわん)を持(も)つ。
To hold a rice bowl.
この茶碗(ちゃわん)は私(わたし)のです。
This rice bowl is mine.
茶碗(ちゃわん)にご飯(はん)をよそってください。
Please serve rice into the bowl.
食(た)べ終(お)わったら茶碗(ちゃわん)を洗(あら)ってください。
Please wash the rice bowls when you finish eating.
日本(にほん)の家庭(かてい)では、家族(かぞく)それぞれが自分(じぶん)の茶碗(ちゃわん)を持(も)っていることが多(おお)いです。
In Japanese households, it's common for each family member to have their own rice bowl.
2. tea bowl
A bowl for drinking tea, especially the wide bowl used for matcha in the tea ceremony. This is the word's original meaning.
茶碗(ちゃわん)を両手(りょうて)で持(も)って抹茶(まっちゃ)を飲(の)む。
To hold the tea bowl in both hands and drink the matcha.
茶道(さどう)で使(つか)う茶碗(ちゃわん)はとても高(たか)いです。
The tea bowls used in tea ceremony are very expensive.
この茶碗(ちゃわん)は百(ひゃく)年(ねん)前(まえ)に作(つく)られたものです。
This tea bowl was made a hundred years ago.
抹茶(まっちゃ)を点(た)てるには茶碗(ちゃわん)と茶筅(ちゃせん)が必要(ひつよう)です。
To make matcha, you need a tea bowl and a bamboo whisk.
祖母(そぼ)から譲(ゆず)り受(う)けた茶碗(ちゃわん)は、茶道(さどう)の名(めい)品(ひん)だと聞(き)きました。
I heard that the tea bowl I inherited from my grandmother is a famous piece in tea ceremony.

茶碗(ちゃわん) literally means 'tea bowl' (茶(ちゃ) + 碗(わん)), but in modern usage primarily means 'rice bowl.'

COMMON COLLOCATIONS (sense 1, rice bowl):
The bowl used for eating rice at meals.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS (sense 2, tea bowl):
Used in tea ceremony (茶道(さどう)).

Cultural note

In Japanese families, each person typically has their own designated rice bowl and chopsticks (箸(はし)). Many people feel uneasy using someone else's.

Watch out

  • Everyday green tea is drunk from a 湯呑(ゆの)み, not a 茶碗(ちゃわん); in modern use 茶碗 for tea means the matcha bowl.

Related words

Related Words

Related: お椀(わん) (soup bowl)
Related: 丼(どんぶり) (large bowl for rice dishes)
Related: お皿(さら) (plate, dish)
Compare: 飯椀(めしわん) (rice bowl)
Compare: 茶筅(ちゃせん) (tea whisk (for matcha))
Related: 茶道(さどう) (tea ceremony)
Related: 茶道(ちゃどう) (tea ceremony)
core
Added 2026.1.7 21:23 · Revised 2026.10.9 9:20
01000/01019_chawan