Refers specifically to ceramic or porcelain bowls, as opposed to wooden bowls (椀). Commonly used for rice bowls, soup bowls, etc.
See also: 椀
この碗は有田焼です。
This bowl is Arita ware.
I served the rice into a bowl and brought it out.
碗にご飯をよそってください。
Please serve rice into the bowl.
counter for bowls of food or drink
Used to count servings in bowls, e.g., bowls of rice, soup, or noodles.
ラーメンを二碗ください。
Two bowls of ramen, please.
スープを一碗いただいた。
I had a bowl of soup.
碗 is a small individual bowl used for rice or soup at the table, while 鉢 is a larger, deeper bowl used for serving, mixing, or communal dishes.
碗 refers to a ceramic or porcelain bowl, while 椀 (same reading) refers to a wooden bowl, so the two are distinguished by material despite sounding identical.
Standard kanji for ceramic or porcelain bowls.
Rarely used kanji form.
The kanji 碗 is a phono-semantic compound with 石 (stone) and 宛 (phonetic), originally referring to a stone or ceramic bowl. The reading わん is the on'yomi.