垣 (yuán) - wall, rampart & city wall

垣Tone 2

yuán ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

喻悦

垣 · yuán

wall, rampart;

city wall;

also used in names and place names

wall, rampartcity wallalso used in names and place names

Usage highlights

city wallearthen wallwall ruinspalace walllow wallbroken wall

Synonyms

  • 墙— wall (general term)
  • 壁— wall (often interior or partition)
  • 垒— rampart, fortification

Antonyms

  • 门— gate, entrance (opposite of enclosing wall)
  • 路— road, path (opposite of barrier)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The ancient city wall (城墙垣) was well preserved.
  • They built a low wall (矮垣) around the garden.
  • This is a famous historical site (垣址).
  • The imperial palace walls (宫垣) were heavily guarded.

Collocations

  • city wall(城垣)
  • earthen wall(土垣)
  • wall ruins(垣墙)
  • palace wall(宫垣)
  • low wall(矮垣)
  • broken wall(断垣)

Idioms

  • Broken walls and crumbling fences(断垣残壁)
  • Within the palace walls(宫垣之内)
  • Ancient walls and old sites(古垣旧址)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In ancient China, walls (垣) were crucial for city defense and symbolized boundaries and protection.
  • The character appears in many historical place names and personal names, conveying a sense of stability and tradition.
  • In imperial contexts, 垣 referred specifically to palace walls, emphasizing security and exclusivity.

FAQ