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烟卷 (yān juàn) — cigarette (colloquial)

Definition

烟卷 (yānjuǎn) is the everyday colloquial word for a cigarette. The standard/neutral term is 香烟 (xiāngyān); 烟卷 is more casual and spoken, less common in formal writing.

noun
cigarette (colloquial)
Measure word · 根

Examples

  • 烟卷。
    Tā tāo chū yì gēn yān juàn diǎn shàng.
    He took out a cigarette and lit it.
  • 烟卷。
    Zhè bāo yān juàn wèi dào bú cuò.
    This pack of cigarettes tastes good.
  • 烟卷。
    Tā xí guàn le fàn hòu chōu yì zhī yān juàn.
    He's used to smoking a cigarette after meals.

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.

烟yāntobacco
卷juànroll

烟卷" combines "烟" (tobacco) and "卷" (roll), a rolled tobacco stick.

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 煙; 烟 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 烟 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (烟) it is 煙; in others it is 菸.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
火火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
垔
垔yīn煙yān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

This story is about the traditional form 煙, not the simplified 烟. It pairs 火, fire, with 垔, which gives the sound.

Open 烟 →

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
卩卩jiékneeling person
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢍏
𢍏𢍏卷juàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 卷, 卩 shows a kneeling person, while 𢍏 gives the sound and may also suggest bending or rolling, as in a reel of books.

Open 卷 →
Appears in
Alcohol & Tobacco

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