low dining table; tea table
A short-legged table used while sitting on the floor, traditionally for meals. Often associated with family dining and the phrase ちゃぶ台返し (flipping the table in anger).
My grandmother's house still has a low dining table.
We ate together as a family around the low table.
A こたつ is a low table with a heater underneath and a quilt over it. A ちゃぶ台 is just a low table without heating elements.
flipping a table over in anger; overturning a table in a fit of rage
Most common spelling; ちゃぶ is kana, 台 is kanji.
Ateji spelling; rarely used.
Katakana variant of ちゃぶ; sometimes seen.
From ちゃぶ (alternation of 茶飯 (chahan, 'tea and rice; simple meal')) + 台 (dai, 'table'). The kanji 卓袱 is ateji.