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圆形 (yuán xíng) — (noun) circle, round shape; (attr.) circular, round

Definition

noun
circleround shape
adjective
(attr.) circularround
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 圆形。
    Zhè ge zhuō zi shì yuán xíng de.
    This table is round.
  • 圆形。
    yuán xíng Shì yì zhǒng jiǎn dān de jǐ hé tú xíng.
    A circle is a simple geometric shape.
  • 圆形。
    Qǐng nǐ zài zhǐ shàng huà yí gè yuán xíng.
    Please draw a circle on the paper.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

圆yuánround
形xíngshape

圆 means round, and 形 means shape; together they mean a round shape.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 圓; 圆 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
囗囗wéi
Sound part声符shēngfú
員
員yuán圓yuán
Same sound today

This is about the traditional form 圓, not the simplified 圆. In 圓, 囗 surrounds 員, and the inner part of 員 is an old circle picture.

Open 圆 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
井
井jǐng形xíng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

形 is made from 彡 and 井, with 井 providing the sound.

Open 形 →
Appears in
Shapes

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