Meaning of 圆
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- circle
- round
- circular
- spherical
- (of the moon) full
- unit of Chinese currency (yuan)
- tactful
- to make consistent and whole (the narrative of a dream or a lie)
How to use 圆
圆 describes round shapes and full moons, and it appears in words about completeness like 圆满 (yuánmǎn) and family reunions like 团圆 (tuányuán). It is also the formal written name of the currency unit, while people usually say 块 (kuài) in speech. Example: 今晚的月亮很圆。(Jīnwǎn de yuèliang hěn yuán.) The moon is very full tonight.
圆 (yuán) is a big enclosure 囗 wrapped around 员 (yuán), which gives the sound. Picture a circle drawn all the way around a person, closing them into something round and whole.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 圆 with 园 (yuán, garden), which has the same sound and the same enclosure but 元 inside instead of 员. Remember 公园 (gōngyuán) is a park, while 圆形 (yuánxíng) means circular.
圆 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.
圆 yuán · circle · 10 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 圆.
| 圆满 | yuánmǎn | satisfactory; consummate; perfect |
| 圆珠笔 | yuánzhūbǐ | ballpoint pen |
| 圆形 | yuánxíng | round; circular |
| 团圆 | tuányuán | to have a reunion |
| 汤圆 | tāngyuán | boiled or deep-fried balls of glutinous rice flour, usually eaten during Lantern Festival |
| 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] |
Questions about 圆
What does 圆 mean?
圆 (yuán) means "circle; round" and is used as a adjective and noun.
How do you write 圆?
圆 is made of 1 character: 圆 (10 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 圆 an HSK word?
Yes. 圆 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 圆 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 圆 is written 圓.
What is the difference between 圆 and 元 for money?
Both are read yuán and refer to the same currency unit. 元 is the standard written form on prices and banknotes today, while 圆 is a more formal variant. In everyday speech people usually say 块 (kuài).
What does 圆谎 mean?
圆谎 (yuánhuǎng) means to cover up a lie by making the story consistent. It uses the sense of 圆 as making something whole, so the lie has no gaps.