圈 (juān) — to confine (animals, people) in an enclosed space; to pen in; to lock up
Definition
圈 (juān) means to pen in or lock up — concrete and physical, used for animals or people confined to a space. Stronger than 关 (just closing/shutting in), less abstract than 限制 or 局限 (limiting rules/conditions).
to confine (animals, people) in an enclosed spaceto pen into lock up
Examples
- 圈。Nóng mín bǎ yáng qún juān jìn le wéi lán.The farmer penned the flock of sheep into the enclosure.
- 圈。Jǐng chá bǎ yí fàn juān zài jū liú shì lǐ.The police confined the suspect in the detention room.
- 圈。Bié bǎ māo juān zài nà me xiǎo de lóng zi lǐ.Don't lock the cat in such a small cage.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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.
Appears in
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