<p>form the function point of view, 勺子, 瓢 and 调羹 are the same, they are a sort of object used to get water.</p>

<p>from the use cases point of view, 瓢 is used to get water only and not suitable to be appear on a table since it's too large, and 勺子 is used to get soup, 调羹 is used to get whatever food in your bowl. so typically in size 瓢 > 勺子 > 调羹, BUT, there's no limitation that you must use 勺子 to get soup, it's just the table manner.</p>

<p>BTW, 瓢 originally stands for an tool made of very old calabash which is used to get water. when a calabash gets old, it will be very hard, so people cut it in the middle and a calabash  becomes two 瓢.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-25T04:47:19.873Z
2014-03-25T04:47:19.873Z
j5shi
<p>Beijing dialect:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>勺儿 sháo er</p>
<p>勺子 sháo zi4</p>
<p>You can both use it as the name of a tableware or other instruments resembling the shape of a spoon.</p>
<p>You can also use it as the a measure.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Formal Chinese</p>
<blockquote>
<p>勺 sháo</p>
<p>匙 chí</p>
<p>You can also use these two in the scenarios you mentioned. However, they are more formal, and normally used in written or in a setting formal oral language are required (e.g. TV program).</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Mandarine spoken in southern and mid China:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>勺子 sháo zi3</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-27T12:08:17.570Z
2014-03-27T12:08:17.570Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
user1228520
<p>Which word should I use for "spoon", as a noun or as a measure. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-23T12:01:13.260Z
They're just two names of the same object. It's just a matter of regional usage and individual preference.
user58955
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-23T12:05:35.287Z
To me (from Southern China) however, 勺子 means something larger than 调羹 (actually my vocab is 瓢羹), that is, suppose you have a big pot of soup, and you use a 勺子 (such as a ladle, called 瓢 in my hometown vocab) to distribute the soup into small bowls for everyone at the table, and then each person uses a 调羹 (tablespoon) to pass the soup into his mouth.
user58955
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-23T12:09:32.337Z
To be safe, say 汤匙 for tablespoon but it sounds a bit formal; widely used in recipes though, a tablespoon of sugar = 一汤匙糖
user58955
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-24T00:22:53.057Z
I've also heard 汤勺 get used for spoon ...
Ming
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-24T10:43:56.130Z
I would say 调羹 for china spoon and 汤匙 for both china and metal tablespoon.
Yafufu
<vocabulary><difference>
What is the difference between 勺子 and 调羹?
# What is the difference between 勺子 and 调羹?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-03-23)

Which word should I use for "spoon", as a noun or as a measure.

**Tags:** vocabulary, difference
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: They're just two names of the same object. It's just a matter of regional usage and individual preference.  
> **username_1**: To me (from Southern China) however, 勺子 means something larger than 调羹 (actually my vocab is 瓢羹), that is, suppose you have a big pot of soup, and you use a 勺子 (such as a ladle, called 瓢 in my hometown vocab) to distribute the soup into small bowls for everyone at the table, and then each person uses a 调羹 (tablespoon) to pass the soup into his mouth.  
> **username_1**: To be safe, say 汤匙 for tablespoon but it sounds a bit formal; widely used in recipes though, a tablespoon of sugar = 一汤匙糖  
> **username_2**: I've also heard 汤勺 get used for spoon ...  
> **username_3**: I would say 调羹 for china spoon and 汤匙 for both china and metal tablespoon.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2014-03-25. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

form the function point of view, 勺子, 瓢 and 调羹 are the same, they are a sort of object used to get water.

from the use cases point of view, 瓢 is used to get water only and not suitable to be appear on a table since it's too large, and 勺子 is used to get soup, 调羹 is used to get whatever food in your bowl. so typically in size 瓢 > 勺子 > 调羹, BUT, there's no limitation that you must use 勺子 to get soup, it's just the table manner.

BTW, 瓢 originally stands for an tool made of very old calabash which is used to get water. when a calabash gets old, it will be very hard, so people cut it in the middle and a calabash becomes two 瓢.


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2014-03-27. Score: 2

Beijing dialect:

> 勺儿 sháo er
>
> 勺子 sháo zi4
>
> You can both use it as the name of a tableware or other instruments resembling the shape of a spoon.
>
> You can also use it as the a measure.

Formal Chinese

> 勺 sháo
>
> 匙 chí
>
> You can also use these two in the scenarios you mentioned. However, they are more formal, and normally used in written or in a setting formal oral language are required (e.g. TV program).

Mandarine spoken in southern and mid China:

> 勺子 sháo zi3


---

