圆 meaning and stroke order
Circle; round; circular
How to write 圆, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Meaning of 圆
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- circle
- round
- circular
- spherical
- (of the moon) full
- unit of Chinese currency (yuan)
How 圆 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Enclosure.
囗 gives the meaning and 员 hints at the sound.
Radical: 囗 (enclosure), shared by 39 characters on this site.
How to remember 圆
The outer box 囗 is an enclosure that wraps all the way around, like a circle drawn closed. Inside sits 员 (yuán), which gives the sound, so the whole character reads yuán and means round.
圆 describes round shapes and also things that feel whole or complete, as in 圆满 (yuánmǎn, perfect) and 团圆 (tuányuán, family reunion). It is common in everyday nouns like 圆珠笔 (yuánzhūbǐ, ballpoint pen) and 汤圆 (tāngyuán). Example: 今晚的月亮很圆。(Jīnwǎn de yuèliang hěn yuán.) The moon is very full tonight.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 圆 with 园 (yuán, garden), which has the same sound and the same outer box but has 元 inside instead of 员. Remember that the circle 圆 holds a person-like 员, while the garden 园 holds 元.
Common words with 圆
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 圆满 | yuánmǎn | satisfactory; consummate; perfect | HSK 4 |
| 圆珠笔 | yuánzhūbǐ | ballpoint pen | HSK 6 |
| 圆形 | yuánxíng | round; circular | HSK 7-9 |
| 团圆 | tuányuán | to have a reunion | HSK 7-9 |
| 汤圆 | tāngyuán | boiled or deep-fried balls of glutinous rice flour, usually eaten during Lantern Festival | HSK 7-9 |
| 方圆 | fāngyuán | perimeter; range | |
| 圆圈 | yuánquān | circle | |
| 美圆 | měiyuán | variant of 美元[mei3 yuan2] | |
| 圆顶 | yuándǐng | dome | |
| 圆环 | yuánhuán | ring (any circular object); (math.) annulus | |
| 圆滑 | yuánhuá | smooth and evasive; slick and sly | |
| 日圆 | rìyuán | variant of 日元[ri4 yuan2] | |
| 圆盘 | yuánpán | disk |
圆 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 圆
How many strokes are in 圆?
圆 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 圆 mean?
圆 (yuán) means circle; round; circular. A common word with it is 圆满 (yuánmǎn), meaning "satisfactory; consummate; perfect".
How do you pronounce 圆?
圆 is pronounced yuán, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 圆?
The radical of 圆 is 囗, which carries the idea of "enclosure". Dictionaries list 圆 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 圆?
The traditional form of 圆 is 圓. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 圆 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 圆 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 圆 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
Is 圆 the same as the currency word 元?
Yes. 圆 can mean the yuan unit of money, and 元 is the common simpler way to write it today. You will mostly see 元 on prices, though 圆 appears in some formal or older writing, and 美圆 is a variant of 美元 (měiyuán, US dollar).
Why is 圆 linked to reunion and the Mid-Autumn Festival?
A full, round moon suggests completeness, so 圆 carries the idea of everyone being together. That is why 团圆 (tuányuán) means a family reunion, and round foods like 汤圆 are eaten at festival times.