圜 (huán) - Circular & to encircle

圜Tone 2

huán ｜ 16 strokes ｜ radical:

枫惠

圜 · huán

Circular;

to encircle;

a round object;

also used in ancient contexts for 'heaven' or 'universe'.

Circularto encirclea round object

Usage highlights

Circular shapeCircular wallCircular mound altarCircular motionCircular prisonThe great circle

Synonyms

  • 圆— round; circular
  • 环— ring; circle
  • 圈— circle; ring

Antonyms

  • 方— square; rectangular
  • 矩— carpenter's square; right angle

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The ancient Chinese believed in a round heaven and square earth (天圆地方).
  • The circular structure is called a yuan (圜形).
  • The prisoner was confined within the circular walls (圜墙).
  • The universe was sometimes poetically called the great circle (大圜).

Collocations

  • Circular shape(圜形)
  • Circular wall(圜墙)
  • Circular mound altar(圜丘)
  • Circular motion(圜转)
  • Circular prison(圜土)
  • The great circle (universe)(大圜)

Idioms

  • Round as a规, square as a矩(规圜矩方)
  • The round sky and square earth(圜天方地)
  • Circular motion and square stillness(圜动方静)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In ancient Chinese cosmology, the character 圜 was associated with the circular shape of heaven, contrasting with the square earth.
  • Used in ritual architecture like the Circular Mound Altar (圜丘) in the Temple of Heaven complex in Beijing.
  • Appears in classical texts describing the shape of celestial bodies and the universe.

FAQ