TongTong
Sign in

转轮 (zhuàn lún) — (mechanics) rotating disk, wheel, rotor; (Buddhism) the wheel of reincarnation, cycle of samsara

Definition

A technical/religious term: literally 'rotating wheel.' In mechanics, a spinning disk or rotor; in Buddhism, the wheel of samsara — the cycle of rebirth through the six realms.

noun
(mechanics) rotating diskwheelrotor(Buddhism) the wheel of reincarnationcycle of samsara
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 转轮。
    Zhè tái jī qì de zhuàn lún zhuàn sù fēi cháng kuài.
    The rotor of this machine rotates very fast.
  • 转轮。
    Fó jiào rèn wéi shēng mìng zài liù dào zhuàn lún zhōng bú duàn lún huí.
    Buddhism believes that life continuously reincarnates within the six-realm wheel.
  • 转轮。
    Tā shōu cáng le yì bǎ lǎo shì zhuàn lún shǒu qiāng.
    He collected an old-style revolver.

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.

转zhuǎnturning
轮lúnwheel

转 gives the turning motion, and 轮 names the wheel.

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 轉; 转 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcarriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
專
專zhuān轉zhuǎn
Same sound today

The traditional form 轉 combines 車, a carriage, with 專 as a sound part; the simplified 转 is a later shorthand.

Open 转 →

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 輪; 轮 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcarriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
侖
侖lún輪lún
Same sound today

The traditional form 輪 uses 車, a carriage, and 侖 for the sound; the simplified 轮 is a later shorthand.

Open 轮 →
Appears in
Miscellaneous ObjectsReligion & Belief

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.