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怪圈 (guài juān) — vicious circle (a self-reinforcing negative cycle); strange or puzzling phenomenon (that is hard to understand or escape)

Definition

A '怪圈' is a self-reinforcing cycle — usually negative — that feels strange because it keeps repeating and is hard to break out of. Often translated 'vicious circle' in contexts like poverty or unemployment.

noun
vicious circle (a self-reinforcing negative cycle)strange or puzzling phenomenon (that is hard to understand or escape)

Examples

  • 怪圈。
    Zhè ge guó jiā xiàn rù le pín qióng de guài juān.
    This country has fallen into a vicious circle of poverty.
  • 怪圈？
    Wèi shén me rén men zǒng ài tǎo lùn zhàn zhēng de guài juān?
    Why do people always like to discuss the strange cycle of war?
  • 怪圈。
    Yào dǎ pò shī yè yǔ jì néng bù zú de guài juān bìng bù róng yì.
    It is not easy to break the vicious circle of unemployment and skill shortage.

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.

怪guàistrange
圈quāncircle

怪 means strange and 圈 means circle, together a puzzling cycle.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
忄Written in full as心xīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
圣
圣shèng怪guài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

怪 is built from 忄, a form of 心, which relates to mind or feeling, and 圣, which gives the sound.

Open 怪 →

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
囗囗wéi
Sound part声符shēngfú
卷
卷juàn圈quān
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

圈 is made of the outer 囗, an enclosure shape, and the inner 卷, which gives the sound.

Open 圈 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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