转 (zhuàn) — to rotate, to spin, to turn (around an axis)
Definition
转 (zhuàn) is the plain verb 'to spin/turn on an axis' — everyday and physical. Unlike 转动 and 旋转, which stress continuous mechanical rotation, 转 is used for simple turns like a key or pen.
verb
to rotateto spinto turn (around an axis)
Examples
- 转。Tā bù tíng dì zhuàn zhe shǒu zhōng de bǐ.He kept spinning the pen in his hand.
- 转。Yào shi zhuàn yí xià mén jiù kāi le.Give the key a turn and the door will open.
- 转。Dì qiú rào zhe tài yáng zhuàn.The Earth revolves around the Sun.
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.
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.
Appears in
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