Chinese word

圈

Pronunciation

Pinyinquān

Meaning

  • nouncircle

Example

他在纸上画了一个圈。tā zài zhǐ shàng huà le yí gè quān

He drew a circle on the paper.

Illustration for 圈 (circle)

More examples

孩子们围成一个圈唱起了歌。hái zi men wéi chéng yí gè quān chàng qǐ le gē

The children formed a circle and started singing.

Core concept

A boundary that sets something apart as one enclosed unit, whether it is drawn on a page or shared by people.

Common phrases

  • 画一个圈huà yí gè quān

    draw a circle

  • 走一圈zǒu yì quān

    walk one lap

  • 围成一个圈wéi chéng yí gè quān

    form a circle

Similar words

圆圈yuán quān: A round ring or outline drawn as a simple shape.
标记biāo jì: A mark used to show a place, item, or piece of information.

Definition in Chinese

表示限定的区域或界线，可以是具体围起来的区域，也可以指为标记而画出的圆形记号。biǎo shì xiàn dìng de qū yù huò jiè xiàn ké yǐ shì jù tǐ wéi qǐ lái de qū yù yě ké yǐ zhǐ wèi biāo jì ér huà chū de yuán xíng jì hào

Word origin

The character 圈 (quān, "circle") is built from 囗 (wéi, "enclosure") around 卷 (juǎn, "roll"), a structure that supports the central idea of containment.

Usage tips

  • On Chinese forms, maps, and handwritten notes, a circled choice usually marks the item as selected or singled out rather than merely showing a geometric shape.

Other meanings

  • ringnoun
  • groupnoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word