wán HSK 6

English Meaning

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📚 Example Sentences

他每天吃一颗药丸。
Tā měitiān chī yī kē yàowán.
He takes one pill every day.
孩子们在玩玻璃丸。
Háizimen zài wán bōlí wán.
The children are playing with glass balls.
这种丸可以治疗感冒。
Zhè zhǒng wán kěyǐ zhìliáo gǎnmào.
This kind of pill can treat a cold.
我吃一颗药丸。
Wǒ chī yī kē yàowán.
I take a pill.
这个肉丸很香。
Zhège ròuwán hěn xiāng.
This meatball is very fragrant.

💡 Memory Tip

Imagine the character 丸 looks like a small dot (丶) inside a container (九), representing a tiny round pill. Associate it with 'one pill' to remember its meaning.

📝 Usage Notes

丸 is used in both formal and informal contexts, in both spoken and written Chinese. It is most common in medical or pharmaceutical settings (e.g., 药丸 - medicine pill) and in culinary contexts (e.g., 肉丸 - meatball). It is a straightforward, everyday word.

📖 Grammar Points

丸 is typically used as a noun, often in compound words where it follows another character to specify the type (e.g., 药丸). It can also be used with measure words like 颗 (kē) or 粒 (lì) for pills (e.g., 一颗药丸).

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, 丸子 (wánzi) like meatballs or fish balls are common in dishes, symbolizing团圆 (tuányuán, reunion) and completeness due to their round shape, especially during festivals. Medicinal pills have a long history in traditional Chinese medicine.

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to 药 (yào, meaning 'medicine' in general), 丸 specifically indicates a pill form. Unlike 球 (qiú, meaning 'ball' or 'sphere'), which is larger and more general, 丸 implies something small and often consumable or handheld.

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