<p>Just a supplement here. Many technical acronyms are borrowed directly from English, and we don't usually translate them into Chinese characters.Take DVD for example, its definition in Chinese is &quot;数字多功能光盘“ as in English &quot;Digital Versatile Disc&quot;, however, we don't say &quot;数字多功能光盘&quot;, except that you want to explain what it is to other people.In general, we just say &quot;DVD&quot; and read it just in a letter-by-lettter way(Dee-Vee-Dee in this case). I would say &quot;张&quot; as the measure word for a piece of DVD. Some other examples:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>LED (read: el-ee-dee)</p>
<p>LCD (read: el-see-dee)</p>
<p>Mp3(read: em-pee-sān) We use this word to mean a file with .mp3 extension or a mp3 player.</p>
<p>Jpeg(read: jay-pee-ee-jee. I have heard an American read it as &quot;jay-peg&quot;, but I have never heard my chinese friends read that way)</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-03T03:27:26.730Z
I've heard a lot more "jay-peg" around me used by Chinese people. Maybe this is due to the international communication in research.
fefe
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-03T03:41:04.040Z
That's true.After I learnt "jay-peg" from that American, I speak to him that way, but my friends don't. I am not sure "jay-peg" is standard or just a personal perference.
Huang
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-06T11:15:48.557Z
This answer prompted me to ask a question, ***[Do acronyms borrowed from English use neutral tone for all syllables?](http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/721/do-acronyms-borrowed-from-english-use-neutral-tone-for-all-syllables)***
hippietrail
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-09-28T19:50:32.850Z
the tone pattern of DVD seems to be `first, neutral, fourth`, LED/LCD seems `neutral, first, first`
user58955
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-03T02:30:02.157Z
2012-01-03T03:36:46.277Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Huang
<p>My old textbook [1] claims that 看碟 is used to say watch a movie on DVD.</p>

<p>Yellow bridge [2] says 影碟 is used for DVD, and its measure word can be either 张 or 片.</p>

<p>[1] Integrated Chinese 3e, Level 1 Part 2, Lesson 11, p2</p>

<p>[2] <a href="http://www.yellowbridge.com/chinese/wordsearch.php?searchMode=C&amp;word=%E5%BD%B1%E7%A2%9F" rel="nofollow">http://www.yellowbridge.com/chinese/wordsearch.php?searchMode=C&amp;word=%E5%BD%B1%E7%A2%9F</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-10-29T08:07:05.427Z
2012-10-29T08:07:05.427Z
pwnall
<p>In Taiwanese usage, no one says anything other than DVD, and the measure word is usually 片 or 張.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-09-28T18:54:43.320Z
2013-09-28T18:54:43.320Z
Tetsuo
<p>I don't know that I've ever heard a Chinese person say anything but DVD to describe a DVD, although I remember learning <strong>光盘/数字光盘</strong> (guāng pán/shù zì guāng pán) as CD/DVD when I was doing my Chinese course.</p>

<p>The measure word for DVD is either 盘 or 张 - either one is fine so far as I know, although a native speaker might correct me on this.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-02T21:31:23.033Z
2012-01-02T21:31:23.033Z
Ciaocibai
<p>I had always used guanng pan (光盘) with ge (个), however I am told that it would be better to use pan (盘) or zhang (张). DVD is commonly used as is die pian (碟片) with the measure word bu (部) or zhang (张).</p>

<p>According to my Chinese friend DVD is most commonly used.</p>

<p>You will also hear wu（五 or jiu（九）after DVD if you're in a shop to signify the type of DVD (DVD 5 or DVD 9).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-06T06:54:41.657Z
By type of DVD do you mean region or something else?
hippietrail
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-06T11:01:28.897Z
DVD 5 or 9 are the most common DVD disc types I have come across in China. DVD 5 refers to a 4.7gb single-sided single layer disc and DVD 9 is a 8.5gb single sided dual-layer disc. In practice something on a DVD 9 disc will normally be of higher quality.
chentudou
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-02T23:33:42.913Z
2012-01-02T23:33:42.913Z
chentudou
<p>I've heard the Chinese are fine to use the English word DVD, rather than the chinese word.  What is more common, and what measure word do they use with it?</p>

<vocabulary>
What is the most common word in use to describe 'DVD' and what is its measure word
# What is the most common word in use to describe 'DVD' and what is its measure word

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-01-02)

I've heard the Chinese are fine to use the English word DVD, rather than the chinese word. What is more common, and what measure word do they use with it?

**Tags:** vocabulary


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## 5 answers

### Answer by username_8 on 2012-01-02. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

I had always used guanng pan (光盘) with ge (个), however I am told that it would be better to use pan (盘) or zhang (张). DVD is commonly used as is die pian (碟片) with the measure word bu (部) or zhang (张).

According to my Chinese friend DVD is most commonly used.

You will also hear wu（五 or jiu（九）after DVD if you're in a shop to signify the type of DVD (DVD 5 or DVD 9).

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: By type of DVD do you mean region or something else?  
> **username_8**: DVD 5 or 9 are the most common DVD disc types I have come across in China. DVD 5 refers to a 4.7gb single-sided single layer disc and DVD 9 is a 8.5gb single sided dual-layer disc. In practice something on a DVD 9 disc will normally be of higher quality.  

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### Answer by username_1 on 2012-01-03. Score: 3

Just a supplement here. Many technical acronyms are borrowed directly from English, and we don't usually translate them into Chinese characters.Take DVD for example, its definition in Chinese is "数字多功能光盘“ as in English "Digital Versatile Disc", however, we don't say "数字多功能光盘", except that you want to explain what it is to other people.In general, we just say "DVD" and read it just in a letter-by-lettter way(Dee-Vee-Dee in this case). I would say "张" as the measure word for a piece of DVD. Some other examples:

> LED (read: el-ee-dee)
>
> LCD (read: el-see-dee)
>
> Mp3(read: em-pee-sān) We use this word to mean a file with .mp3 extension or a mp3 player.
>
> Jpeg(read: jay-pee-ee-jee. I have heard an American read it as "jay-peg", but I have never heard my chinese friends read that way)

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: I've heard a lot more "jay-peg" around me used by Chinese people. Maybe this is due to the international communication in research.  
> **username_1**: That's true.After I learnt "jay-peg" from that American, I speak to him that way, but my friends don't. I am not sure "jay-peg" is standard or just a personal perference.  
> **username_3**: This answer prompted me to ask a question, ***[Do acronyms borrowed from English use neutral tone for all syllables?](http://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/721/do-acronyms-borrowed-from-english-use-neutral-tone-for-all-syllables)***  
> **username_4**: the tone pattern of DVD seems to be `first, neutral, fourth`, LED/LCD seems `neutral, first, first`  

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### Answer by username_5 on 2012-10-29. Score: 3

My old textbook [1] claims that 看碟 is used to say watch a movie on DVD.

Yellow bridge [2] says 影碟 is used for DVD, and its measure word can be either 张 or 片.

[1] Integrated Chinese 3e, Level 1 Part 2, Lesson 11, p2

[2] <http://www.yellowbridge.com/chinese/wordsearch.php?searchMode=C&word=%E5%BD%B1%E7%A2%9F>


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### Answer by username_6 on 2013-09-28. Score: 3

In Taiwanese usage, no one says anything other than DVD, and the measure word is usually 片 or 張.


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### Answer by username_7 on 2012-01-02. Score: 2

I don't know that I've ever heard a Chinese person say anything but DVD to describe a DVD, although I remember learning **光盘/数字光盘** (guāng pán/shù zì guāng pán) as CD/DVD when I was doing my Chinese course.

The measure word for DVD is either 盘 or 张 - either one is fine so far as I know, although a native speaker might correct me on this.


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