Tableware means all the things you put on a table for a meal: plates, bowls, cups, glasses, knives, forks, spoons, dishes for serving. It is a group word — one word that covers the whole set — so you almost never use it for one object.

Tableware Tableware means指的是 all the things you put on a table for a meal:你為了一餐飯擺上桌的所有東西: plates, bowls, cups, glasses, knives, forks, spoons, dishes for serving盤子、碗、杯子、玻璃杯、刀、叉、湯匙，還有裝菜用的盤皿。It is a group word —它是一個集合詞— one word that covers the whole set —一個詞涵蓋整套東西— so you almost never use it for one object所以你幾乎不會拿它來指單一一件物品。

You would not point at a plate and call it 'a tableware'. It has no plural and takes no 'a': you say 'the tableware', 'some tableware', 'a lot of tableware'.

You would not point at a plate你不會指著一個盤子 and call it 'a tableware'叫它 'a tableware'。It has no plural and takes no 'a':它沒有複數形，也不加 'a': you say 'the tableware', 'some tableware', 'a lot of tableware'你會說 'the tableware'、'some tableware'、'a lot of tableware'。

This is the same pattern as 'furniture' and 'luggage'.

This is the same pattern as這跟...是同樣的模式 'furniture' and 'luggage''furniture'（家具）和 'luggage'（行李）。

Where you meet it: shops, catalogues, hotels, restaurants — the business side of eating. A department store will have a tableware floor. A restaurant manager will talk about buying new tableware.

Where you meet it:你會在哪裡遇到這個詞: shops, catalogues, hotels, restaurants —商店、型錄、飯店、餐廳— the business side of eating也就是飲食業的那一面。A department store百貨公司 will have a tableware floor會有一整層樓賣 tableware。A restaurant manager餐廳經理 will talk about buying new tableware會提到要採購新的 tableware。

At home, ordinary people usually don't say it; they say 'the plates and things', 'the dishes', or name the thing directly. So it sounds a bit formal, a bit like the language of selling.

At home,在家裡 ordinary people usually don't say it;一般人通常不會這樣講; they say 'the plates and things', 'the dishes',他們會說 'the plates and things'（盤子那些東西）、'the dishes' or name the thing directly或是直接講那個東西的名字。So it sounds a bit formal,所以這個詞聽起來有點正式 a bit like the language of selling有點像做生意的用語。

There are narrower words inside it. 'Crockery' is the pottery part (plates, cups, bowls). 'Cutlery' is the knives and forks — Americans often say 'silverware' or 'flatware'. 'Glassware' is the glasses. 'Tableware' is the umbrella over all of them.

There are narrower words還有幾個範圍更小的詞 inside it在它底下。'Crockery''Crockery' is the pottery part指的是陶瓷器皿的部分 (plates, cups, bowls)（盤子、杯子、碗）。'Cutlery''Cutlery' is the knives and forks —指的是刀叉— Americans often say 'silverware' or 'flatware'美國人常說 'silverware' 或 'flatware'。'Glassware''Glassware' is the glasses指的是玻璃杯類。'Tableware''Tableware' is the umbrella則是總稱 over all of them涵蓋這些全部。