# Tupperware containers



## yuechu

大家好！

Would anyone know how to say "Tupperware containers" in Chinese? (They don't have to be from that brand name!)
How about "塑料盒"?
Thanks!


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## Ghabi

Do you always mean plastic stuff when you say Tupperware? Can it also be glass (I prefer glass though it's heavier )?


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## yuechu

I prefer glass ones, too! I've always associated "Tupperware containers" with plastic containers though.
Are both also popular over there?


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## Ghabi

People seem to think that the glass ones are "healthier", whatever that means ...  For the thing you use to put your lunch in, I would say 保鲜盒, but others may use different words (they always use different words!). 

塑料盒 makes me think of those disposable plastic containers used in takeaways (nothing prevents you from reusing them of course, but they're different from Tupperware, aren't they?).


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## yuechu

Ghabi said:


> 塑料盒 makes me think of those disposable plastic containers used in takeaways (nothing prevents you from reusing them of course, but they're different from Tupperware, aren't they?).


They are different! I usually call those "take out containers". (They are often made of styrofoam here, but I guess they are probably made out of lots of different materials!)



Ghabi said:


> I would say 保鲜盒


Oh, great! I must have heard that word before but forgot about it.
(And yes, I think the glass ones probably are healthier than the plastic ones!)
Are glass and plastic containers both considered 保鲜盒？

Thanks, Ghabi!


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## Oswinw011

yuechu said:


> Are glass and plastic containers both considered 保鲜盒？


Yes, but I'd think of the 保鲜盒 as plastic if not specified. If it's glass, I'd say: 玻璃保鲜盒。
Tupperware containers, 特百惠保鲜盒/饭盒/午餐盒/便当盒。


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## retrogradedwithwind

保鲜盒→ keep-fresh container
玻璃保鲜盒→ glass keep-fresh container
塑料保鲜盒→ plastic keep-fresh container


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## yuechu

Oh, that makes sense! Thanks for your help, Oswin and Retrogradedwithwind!


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## SimonTsai

Ghabi said:


> For the thing you use to put your lunch in, I would say 保鲜盒, but others may use different words


Here it's called '保鮮盒' too. And yes, it's assumed to be plastic when unspecified.


> 塑料盒 makes me think of those disposable plastic containers used in takeaways


'塑料' is not something I would say. I'd say '塑膠', other things unchanged. (But it seems that our language, admittedly, is being infiltrated by the mainland and as a result, people may be starting saying '塑料'.


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## ovaltine888

I have heard both 塑胶 and 塑料 but the latter is more common.
When I hear 塑胶, it would somehow remind me of rubber（橡胶） but I just googled it and it is not the case. Basically, 塑料 and 塑胶 refer to the same thing.


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## Ghabi

yuechu said:


> (They are often made of styrofoam here, but I guess they are probably made out of lots of different materials!)


Yeah, "traditionally" we use the styrofoam ones (发泡胶盒) for takeaways, but seems that many eateries have switched to transparent plastic containers since the pandemic, presumably because the latter are microwavable. Quite confusing as far as names are concerned indeed.


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## SimonTsai

ovaltine888 said:


> I have heard both 塑胶 and 塑料 [...]


 It surprises me that '塑膠' is used in the mainland too.


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## retrogradedwithwind

塑胶也在用。典型词组是塑胶跑道。(塑料听着就有一种廉价感，塑料跑道，听起来像不合格产品。)还有一个词是树脂。这三个词，细分或许有差别，不细分就是指同一个东西。


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## SimonTsai

Here we would expect '樹脂' to be natural unless otherwise informed, so we wouldn't confuse '樹脂' with '塑膠', or the other way round. I'd say they are different.


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## ovaltine888

SimonTsai said:


> Here we would expect '樹脂' to be natural unless otherwise stated, so we wouldn't confuse '樹脂' with '塑膠', or the other way round. I'd say they are different.


Nowadays, I believe most "resin products" are made of artificial resins such as epoxy.


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