圈

quān
HSK 5
#1,364 most
frequent character
circle, ring, loop
noun
Measure Word
Measure words:个 gè

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

圈 has 囗 city wall/surround as the meaning part and 卷 quán as the sound part, close but different in tone. It first meant a fenced area for animals, then grew to circle or loop and to encircle; other readings cover penning in and a pig pen.

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Example Sentences

她在纸上画了一个圈。
tāzài zhǐ shàng huà le yígè quān 。
She drew a circle on the paper.
比赛开始时，选手们在圈内等候。
bǐsài kāishǐ shí ， xuǎnshǒu mén zài quān nèi děnghòu 。
When the race starts, the contestants wait inside the loop.
教室里有一个圈圈的椅子。
jiàoshì lǐ yǒu yígè quānquān de yǐzǐ 。
There is a ring of chairs in the classroom.

Same Characters, Different Readings

圈juān
to confine, to lock up, to pen in
圈juàn
livestock enclosure, pen, fold

Words with similar meanings

环huán
ring
While '圈' refers generally to a circle, '环' often implies a circular object that can be worn or used, such as a ring.

Words Starting With 圈

圈套quān tào
trap; snare; trick

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Public Lists with 圈

HSK 5
All words for the HSK 5 test
Measure Words
Commonly used measure words (个, 张, 本, etc.) across various contexts.
Colors & Shapes
Vocabulary for basic colors, color shades, and geometric shapes.