圈 meaning and stroke order
Circle; ring; loop; (fig.) social circle; niche group; community; fandom; classifier for loops, orbits, laps
How to write 圈, stroke by stroke
11 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
- 11
Meaning of 圈
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- circle; ring; loop
- (fig.) social circle; niche group; community; fandom
- classifier for loops, orbits, laps
- to surround; to encircle
- to circle (sth); to mark with a circle
- to confine
- to lock up
- to pen in
- livestock enclosure; pen; fold; sty
How 圈 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Enclosure.
囗 gives the meaning and 卷 hints at the sound.
Radical: 囗 (enclosure), shared by 39 characters on this site.
How to remember 圈
圈 is an enclosure 囗 wrapped around 卷 (juǎn, to roll up), which also gives the sound. Picture something rolled up and fenced in by a ring, and you have a circle or loop.
圈 (quān) is used for circles and rings, as a measure word for laps, and more and more for social circles or fan communities, as in 演艺圈 (yǎnyìquān, show business). Example: 我跑了三圈。(Wǒ pǎo le sān quān.) I ran three laps.
Common mistake: Learners often write 卷 or 券 (quàn, ticket) by mistake, or forget the outer box 囗. The phonetic 卷 sits fully inside the enclosure, so close the box at the bottom.
Common words with 圈
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 圈套 | quāntào | trap; snare; trick | HSK 7-9 |
| 圈子 | quānzi | circle; ring | HSK 7-9 |
| 演艺圈 | yǎnyìquān | show business | HSK 7-9 |
| 圈圈 | quānquan | to draw a circle; cliques | |
| 项圈 | xiàngquān | necklace | |
| 圆圈 | yuánquān | circle | |
| 转圈 | zhuànquān | to rotate; to twirl | |
| 兜圈子 | dōuquānzi | to encircle; to go around | |
| 黑眼圈 | hēiyǎnquān | dark circles (under one's eyes); black eye | |
| 猪圈 | zhūjuàn | (lit. and fig.) pigsty | |
| 娱乐圈 | yúlèquān | the entertainment world; show business | |
| 绕圈子 | ràoquānzi | to go around in circles; to make a detour |
圈 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 圈
How many strokes are in 圈?
圈 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 圈 mean?
圈 (quān) means circle; ring; loop; (fig.) social circle; niche group; community; fandom; classifier for loops, orbits, laps. A common word with it is 圈套 (quāntào), meaning "trap; snare; trick".
How do you pronounce 圈?
圈 is pronounced quān, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 圈?
The radical of 圈 is 囗, which carries the idea of "enclosure". Dictionaries list 圈 under this radical.
Is 圈 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 圈 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.
Does 圈 have other pronunciations?
Yes. Read juàn, it means a pen for animals, as in 猪圈 (zhūjuàn, pigsty). Read juān, it means to lock up or pen in, as in 把鸡圈起来 (bǎ jī juān qǐlái, pen in the chickens).
What does 兜圈子 mean in conversation?
Literally it means to go around in circles. In everyday speech it means to beat around the bush, for example 别兜圈子了 (bié dōu quānzi le), stop beating around the bush.