quān HSK 5

English Meaning

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📚 Example Sentences

孩子们画了一个大圈。
Háizimen huà le yī gè dà quān.
The children drew a big circle.
请站在这个圈里。
Qǐng zhàn zài zhège quān lǐ.
Please stand inside this circle.
他用绳子做了一个圈。
Tā yòng shéngzi zuò le yī gè quān.
He made a circle with a rope.
画一个圈。
Huà yī gè quān.
Draw a circle.
钥匙在圈上。
Yàoshi zài quān shàng.
The key is on the ring.

💡 Memory Tip

Imagine drawing a circle (圈) with a pen around something—the shape looks like the character 圈, which has a box (囗) enclosing 卷 (juǎn, meaning to roll), suggesting something rolled into a circular form. Think of 'running a lap' as tracing a circle on a track.

📝 Usage Notes

This word is neutral in tone and used in both spoken and written Chinese across formal and informal contexts. It commonly appears in contexts involving sports (e.g., running laps), geometry, social groups (e.g., 朋友圈, friend circle), or enclosures (e.g., 圈起来, to encircle).

📖 Grammar Points

As a noun, 圈 is often used with measure words like 个 (e.g., 一个圈) or as a measure word itself for counting laps or revolutions (e.g., 跑三圈, run three laps). It can also function as a verb meaning 'to circle' or 'to enclose' (e.g., 圈出重点, circle the key points).

🏯 Cultural Notes

In Chinese culture, 圈子 can refer to social circles or cliques, reflecting the importance of group networks and relationships (关系, guānxi). For example, 娱乐圈 (yú lè quān) means the entertainment industry, highlighting how people are grouped by profession or interest.

🔄 Similar Words

Compared to 环 (huán), which also means 'ring' but often implies a link or loop (e.g., 环节, link; 环境, environment), 圈 emphasizes a circular shape or a closed area. 圆 (yuán) refers to the geometric shape 'circle' or something round, while 圈 can include the idea of a bounded space or group.

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