圓 meaning and stroke order
Circle; circular, round; complete
How to write 圓, stroke by stroke
13 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
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- 4
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- 13
Meaning of 圓
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- circle
- round
- circular
- spherical
- (of the moon) full
- unit of Chinese currency (yuan)
How 圓 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Enclosure.
囗 gives the meaning and 員 hints at the sound.
Radical: 囗 (enclosure), shared by 39 characters on this site.
How to remember 圓
圓 is pictophonetic: the enclosure 囗 gives the meaning of something closed all the way around, and 員 (yuán) inside gives the sound. Picture a ring drawn around a member of a group, closing into a full circle.
圓 is the traditional form. Most learners will see the simplified 圆 in mainland texts, as in the word list here. It means round or circular, and it also carries a sense of completeness, as in 圆满 (yuánmǎn, satisfactory, perfect) and 团圆 (tuányuán, family reunion). Example: 今晚的月亮很圆。(Jīnwǎn de yuèliang hěn yuán.) The moon is very full tonight.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 圓 with its phonetic part 員 (yuán, member), since they sound the same. Without the outer box 囗, the character means a person in a group, not a circle. Learners also sometimes mix up 圆 with 园 (yuán, garden), which is another same-sound character with an enclosure.
Common words with 圓
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 圓滿 | yuánmǎn | satisfactory; consummate; perfect | HSK 4 |
| 圓珠筆 | yuánzhūbǐ | ballpoint pen | HSK 6 |
| 圓形 | yuánxíng | round; circular | HSK 7-9 |
| 團圓 | tuányuán | to have a reunion | HSK 7-9 |
| 湯圓 | tāngyuán | boiled or deep-fried balls of glutinous rice flour, usually eaten during Lantern Festival | HSK 7-9 |
| 方圓 | fāngyuán | perimeter; range | |
| 圓圈 | yuánquān | circle | |
| 美圓 | měiyuán | variant of 美元[mei3 yuan2] | |
| 圓頂 | yuándǐng | dome | |
| 圓環 | yuánhuán | ring (any circular object); (math.) annulus | |
| 圓滑 | yuánhuá | smooth and evasive; slick and sly | |
| 日圓 | rìyuán | variant of 日元[ri4 yuan2] | |
| 圓盤 | yuánpán | disk |
Questions about 圓
How many strokes are in 圓?
圓 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 圓 mean?
圓 (yuán) means circle; circular, round; complete. A common word with it is 圆满 (yuánmǎn), meaning "satisfactory; consummate; perfect".
How do you pronounce 圓?
圓 is pronounced yuán, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 圓?
The radical of 圓 is 囗, which carries the idea of "enclosure". Dictionaries list 圓 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 圓?
圓 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 圆, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why is the Chinese currency called yuan, and is it written 圓 or 元?
圓 can refer to the yuan as a unit of currency, since early coins were round. In everyday writing today, 元 (yuán) is the standard character for the currency, and the list here notes 美圆 as a variant of 美元 (měiyuán, US dollar).
Why are 汤圆 and 团圆 linked to festivals?
汤圆 (tāngyuán) are round rice balls, and their round shape suggests wholeness and the family being together, which is the meaning of 团圆 (tuányuán). They are usually eaten at the Lantern Festival.