弯弯 (wān wān) — (colloquial, reduplicated) curved; bent; winding

Definition

The reduplicated, colloquial form of 弯 — 'curved, winding' — used as an adjective to describe gentle bends (a path, a smile, the moon). Written 弯曲 is more formal.

bound form
(colloquial, reduplicated) curvedbentwinding

Examples

  • 弯弯。
    Mén qián yǒu yì tiáo wān wān de xiǎo lù.
    There is a winding path in front of the door.
  • 弯弯。
    Tā de zuǐ jiǎo wān wān dì xiào qǐ lái.
    The corners of her mouth curved up in a smile.
  • 弯弯。
    Yuè liang wān wān dì guà zài tiān shàng.
    The moon hangs curved in the sky.

Origin

Reduplicated word
构词法gòucífǎ
重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

弯wāncurved
弯wāncurved

弯 means curved, and the two 弯 together give a colloquial sense of bent or winding.

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 彎; 弯 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
弓弓gōngbow
Sound part声符shēngfú
䜌
䜌䜌彎wān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 彎 pairs 弓 (bow) with 䜌 as a sound part; the simplified 弯 is a later shorthand.

Open 弯 →

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 彎; 弯 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
弓弓gōngbow
Sound part声符shēngfú
䜌
䜌䜌彎wān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 彎 pairs 弓 (bow) with 䜌 as a sound part; the simplified 弯 is a later shorthand.

Open 弯 →

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