圆场 (yuán chǎng) — to mediate a dispute, to smooth over a situation (often in 打圆场)

Definition

圆场 is a verb-object phrase meaning to smooth over a tense situation or mediate a dispute, almost always used in the set phrase 打圆场 ('step in to smooth things over').

verb
to mediate a disputeto smooth over a situation (often in 打圆场)

Examples

  • ，。
    Tā kàn qì fen bú duì, gǎn jǐn chū lái dǎ yuán chǎng.
    He saw the atmosphere was off and quickly stepped in to smooth things over.
  • ，圆场。
    Dà jiā chǎo qǐ lái de shí hou, tā dǎ le ge yuán chǎng.
    When everyone started arguing, she mediated and calmed things down.
  • ，。
    Lǎo bǎn tì wǒ shuō le jǐ jù hǎo huà, bāng wǒ yuán le chǎng.
    The boss said a few good words on my behalf and helped smooth things over for me.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

圆yuánsmooth over
场chǎngscene

Smoothing a tense scene helps settle a dispute.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 場; 场 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
昜
昜yáng場chǎng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 場 pairs 土 (earth) with 昜 as a sound part; the simplified 场 is a later abbreviation, so its parts do not have that historical role.

Open 场 →

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