光盘
Traditional: 光盤
guāng pán HSK 5

English Meaning

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📚 Example Sentences

我买了一张音乐光盘。
Wǒ mǎile yī zhāng yīnyuè guāngpán.
I bought a music CD.
这张光盘里有很多电影。
Zhè zhāng guāngpán lǐ yǒu hěn duō diànyǐng.
There are many movies on this optical disc.
他用光盘保存重要文件。
Tā yòng guāngpán bǎocún zhòngyào wénjiàn.
He uses CDs to store important documents.
这张光盘坏了。
Zhè zhāng guāngpán huài le.
This disc is broken.
光盘在桌子上。
Guāngpán zài zhuōzi shàng.
The disc is on the table.

💡 Memory Tip

Break it down: 光 (guāng) means 'light,' and 盘 (pán) means 'disc' or 'plate.' Think of a shiny disc that reflects light when you use it—like a CD spinning in a player. This visual can help recall its meaning as an optical disc.

📝 Usage Notes

This word is neutral in formality and used in both spoken and written Chinese. It's common in contexts discussing media, technology, or collections, such as buying music, installing software, or archiving data. While still used, it's becoming less frequent with the rise of digital streaming.

📖 Grammar Points

As a noun, 光盘 typically follows measure words like 张 (zhāng) or 片 (piàn), e.g., 一张光盘 (one CD). It can function as a subject, object, or modifier in sentences, such as 光盘坏了 (The CD is broken) or 光盘内容 (the content on the disc).

🏯 Cultural Notes

In China, 光盘 was widely used from the 1990s to early 2000s for music, movies, and software, reflecting the era's media consumption. It also relates to the 'Clean Plate Campaign' (光盘行动, guāngpán xíngdòng), a separate term promoting food conservation, but here it's purely technological with no direct cultural nuance.

🔄 Similar Words

Similar words include 唱片 (chàngpiàn, 'vinyl record' or 'music disc', more traditional) and U盘 (yóupán, 'USB flash drive', a newer digital storage device). 光盘 specifically refers to optical discs like CDs/DVDs, distinguishing it from analog records or modern flash storage.

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