Meaning of 周围
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- environs; surroundings; periphery
How to use 周围
周围 is used for the physical area around a person or place, and also for the people around you. It often follows a noun or appears with 的. Example: 学校周围有很多饭馆。(Xuéxiào zhōuwéi yǒu hěn duō fànguǎn.) There are many restaurants around the school.
周 (zhōu) means a full circle or cycle, as in 周末 (zhōumò) weekend, and 围 (wéi) means to surround, as in 围巾 (wéijīn), a scarf that wraps around your neck. Put them together and you get the area that circles around something: the surroundings.
Common mistake: Learners often put 周围 before the place, as in English "around the school", but in Chinese the place comes first: 学校周围, not 周围学校. Also keep the tones straight: zhōu is first tone and wéi is second tone.
周围 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
周 zhōu · week · 8 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
围 wéi · to encircle · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 周围.
| 周末 | zhōumò | weekend |
| 下周 | xià zhōu | next week |
| 上周 | shàng zhōu | last week |
| 周年 | zhōunián | anniversary; annual |
| 范围 | fànwéi | range; scope |
| 围巾 | wéijīn | scarf; shawl |
| 包围 | bāowéi | to surround; to encircle; to hem in |
| 四周 | sìzhōu | all around |
| 围绕 | wéirào | to revolve around; to center on (an issue) |
| 周期 | zhōuqī | period; cycle |
| 周到 | zhōudào | thoughtful; considerate |
| 周边 | zhōubiān | periphery; rim; perimeter; surroundings; (computing) (attributive) peripheral |
Questions about 周围
What does 周围 mean?
周围 (zhōuwéi) means "environs; surroundings; periphery" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 周围?
周围 is made of 2 characters: 周 (8 strokes), 围 (7 strokes). That is 15 strokes in total.
Is 周围 an HSK word?
Yes. 周围 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 周围 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 周围 is written 周圍.
What is the difference between 周围 and 附近?
附近 (fùjìn) means nearby and focuses on short distance. 周围 stresses the area that surrounds something on all sides. They often overlap, but 周围 can also describe the people around you, as in 周围的人.
Can 周围 describe people and not just places?
Yes. 周围的人 (zhōuwéi de rén) means the people around you, such as friends, family, or coworkers. Example: 他周围的朋友都很好。(Tā zhōuwéi de péngyou dōu hěn hǎo.) The friends around him are all very nice.