<p>The first two are both commonly used. I have never heard of the third one, but a look on google shows usage. I suspect the third one is used more in Northern China, but this is just a guess. </p>

<p>So yes, since they refer to the same thing, you can use them interchangeably, but I'd stick with the first two just to be safe.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-08-17T02:38:27.650Z
Yes, agree that the third one is quite rarely used.
杨以轩
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-08-17T18:33:41.950Z
The third one is quite commonly used in northern China. In Beijing if I use the former two in casual conversations with my friends they'll be like "wow, why do you sound so formal".
NS.X.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-08-17T20:33:47.027Z
Thanks @NS.X. I thought so. 案子 used in this way just sounds so Northern to me. The only time I (I was originally from Shanghai) would use 案子 is in the sense of a crime case.
deutschZuid
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-08-17T02:35:41.847Z
2012-08-17T02:35:41.847Z
deutschZuid
<p>And in Cantonese, it is</p>

<p>兵乓波台</p>

<p>pronounced, roughly, as <code>BING BUM BOR TOI</code>, but often the second sound is shortened and quick, to <code>BING um BOR TOI</code>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-08-17T15:13:02.277Z
兵乓波台 = bing1 bam1 bo1 toi4 (Yutping)
dda
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-13T01:14:32.087Z
Is 兵 (not 乒) the right character here?
Becky 李蓓
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-08-17T11:14:28.040Z
2012-08-17T11:14:28.040Z
nonopolarity
<p>As a chinese, I usually call table-tennis table "乒乓球案子", it is correct in some area of China, but it is not formal.In china ,we call table-tennis table "乒乓球台” formally</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-09-11T16:18:31.403Z
2012-09-11T16:18:31.403Z
raycamus
<p>乒乓球案子 is informal, kind of dialect in some areas.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-08-24T09:02:50.040Z
Peng, would you mind adding more detail?
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-08-24T06:38:25.353Z
2012-08-24T06:38:25.353Z
Peng
<p>All three terms refer to the same thing - table tennis table.</p>

<p><code>乒乓球桌</code> is a commonly used (1.58M results on Google, 2.60M results on Baidu) layman's term.</p>

<p><code>乒乓球台</code> is the technical term (both <a href="http://baike.baidu.com/view/1596244.htm" rel="nofollow">Baidu</a> and <a href="http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B9%92%E4%B9%93%E7%90%83" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia</a> use
 this term) and is commonly used (2.14M results on Google, 4.19M results on Baidu) as well.</p>

<p><code>乒乓球案子</code> is rarely used (0.21M results on Google, 0.13M results on Baidu) from my own personal experience.</p>

<p>When used by itself,</p>

<p><code>桌</code> refers to a table.</p>

<p><code>台</code> refers to a platform or a stage.</p>

<p><code>案子</code> refers to a long table or a plank used as a make-shift table.</p>

<p>If you are discussing about table tennis in general, you can also use <code>球桌</code> or <code>球台</code> to refer to the table.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-08-17T02:35:50.493Z
2012-08-18T02:47:00.763Z
2012-08-18T02:47:00.763Z
杨以轩
<p>I have found those translations of a "table-tennis table":</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>乒乓球桌<br>
  乒乓球台<br>
  乒乓球案子</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Searching for pictures of them, all 3 appear to be the same thing. On <a href="http://www.mdbg.net/" rel="nofollow">http://www.mdbg.net/</a> I only found 乒乓球台 .</p>

<p>Are those words interchangeable? Which is more commonly used?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-17T11:35:21.630Z
桌 table, 台 platform, 案 wide board.
xenophōn
<vocabulary>
Table-tennis table: 乒乓球桌, 乒乓球台 or 乒乓球案子?
# Table-tennis table: 乒乓球桌, 乒乓球台 or 乒乓球案子?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-08-17)

I have found those translations of a "table-tennis table":

> 乒乓球桌  
> 乒乓球台  
> 乒乓球案子

Searching for pictures of them, all 3 appear to be the same thing. On <http://www.mdbg.net/> I only found 乒乓球台 .

Are those words interchangeable? Which is more commonly used?

**Tags:** vocabulary
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 桌 table, 台 platform, 案 wide board.  

---

## 5 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2012-08-17. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

All three terms refer to the same thing - table tennis table.

`乒乓球桌` is a commonly used (1.58M results on Google, 2.60M results on Baidu) layman's term.

`乒乓球台` is the technical term (both [Baidu](http://baike.baidu.com/view/1596244.htm) and [Wikipedia](http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B9%92%E4%B9%93%E7%90%83) use
this term) and is commonly used (2.14M results on Google, 4.19M results on Baidu) as well.

`乒乓球案子` is rarely used (0.21M results on Google, 0.13M results on Baidu) from my own personal experience.

When used by itself,

`桌` refers to a table.

`台` refers to a platform or a stage.

`案子` refers to a long table or a plank used as a make-shift table.

If you are discussing about table tennis in general, you can also use `球桌` or `球台` to refer to the table.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2012-08-17. Score: 4

The first two are both commonly used. I have never heard of the third one, but a look on google shows usage. I suspect the third one is used more in Northern China, but this is just a guess.

So yes, since they refer to the same thing, you can use them interchangeably, but I'd stick with the first two just to be safe.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Yes, agree that the third one is quite rarely used.  
> **username_4**: The third one is quite commonly used in northern China. In Beijing if I use the former two in casual conversations with my friends they'll be like "wow, why do you sound so formal".  
> **username_2**: Thanks @NS.X. I thought so. 案子 used in this way just sounds so Northern to me. The only time I (I was originally from Shanghai) would use 案子 is in the sense of a crime case.  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2012-08-17. Score: 1

And in Cantonese, it is

兵乓波台

pronounced, roughly, as `BING BUM BOR TOI`, but often the second sound is shortened and quick, to `BING um BOR TOI`.

> **Comments:**
> **username_6**: 兵乓波台 = bing1 bam1 bo1 toi4 (Yutping)  
> **username_7**: Is 兵 (not 乒) the right character here?  

---

### Answer by username_8 on 2012-09-11. Score: 1

As a chinese, I usually call table-tennis table "乒乓球案子", it is correct in some area of China, but it is not formal.In china ,we call table-tennis table "乒乓球台” formally


---

### Answer by username_9 on 2012-08-24. Score: -1

乒乓球案子 is informal, kind of dialect in some areas.

> **Comments:**
> **username_10**: Peng, would you mind adding more detail?  

---

