Traditional: 糰
tuán HSK 5

English Meaning

Categories

📚 Example Sentences

妈妈做了很多饺子团。
Māma zuò le hěn duō jiǎozi tuán.
Mom made many dumpling balls.
孩子们玩雪,滚成雪团。
Háizimen wán xuě, gǔn chéng xuě tuán.
The children played in the snow and rolled it into snowballs.
她把纸揉成一个纸团。
Tā bǎ zhǐ róu chéng yī gè zhǐ tuán.
She crumpled the paper into a paper ball.
我吃了一个团。
Wǒ chīle yīgè tuán.
I ate a dumpling.
这个团很圆。
Zhège tuán hěn yuán.
This ball is very round.

💡 Memory Tip

Imagine a round (团 can mean 'round' as an adjective) group of people holding hands in a circle, symbolizing unity and organization. The character 团 looks like an enclosure (囗) around 才 (talent), suggesting talented people gathered together.

📝 Usage Notes

This word is neutral in formality and used in both spoken and written Chinese. Common contexts include travel (旅游团 - tour group), work (团队 - team), social organizations (社团 - club), and military units (军团 - army corps).

📖 Grammar Points

团 is commonly used as a noun in phrases like 一个团 (a group) or as part of compound words (e.g., 团队 - team). It can also function as a measure word for round or ball-shaped objects (e.g., 一团纸 - a ball of paper), though this is a different usage from the noun meaning.

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, 团 emphasizes collectivism and harmony, reflecting values of unity and cooperation. It appears in terms like 团圆 (tuányuán), meaning 'family reunion,' especially during festivals like the Mid-Autumn Festival, highlighting social and familial bonds.

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to 组 (zǔ), which often means a smaller or more temporary 'group' (e.g., 小组 - small group), 团 typically implies a larger, more formal, or cohesive organization. 队 (duì) means 'team' and is often interchangeable with 团 in contexts like sports or work, but 团 can carry a broader organizational sense.

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