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March 24, 2026
丸wán(wan2)
The character '丸' (wán) refers to a rounded object, such as a ball, pellet, or pill. It is commonly used in contexts related to medicine, food, and even in traditional Chinese medicine where it denotes medicinal pills. The nuance of '丸' suggests something small and spherical.
Strokes3Radical丶Frequency#7371DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
'丸' is often found in traditional Chinese medicine, where herbal remedies are frequently made into pill form. This reflects the importance of holistic health practices in Chinese culture.
Memory Tip
Imagine a round pill that you can roll like a ball. The character '丸' resembles a ball that has been rolled on the ground, with the top part being the rounded shape. This visual connection can help you remember that 'wán' means ball or pill.
Meanings of 丸
wán(wan2)
1ball
2pellet
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 丸
丸Simplified
3Strokes
丶Radical
状态词zgnq (stat.)Part of Speech
#7371Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2
Podcast: 丸
Podcast: 丸
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AI Study Notes for 丸
Quick Contrast
药 (yào) — use '丸' when referring specifically to small, rounded medicinal forms, while '药' is a broader term for medicine in general.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a round pill that you can roll like a ball. The character '丸' resembles a ball that has been rolled on the ground, with the top part being the rounded shape. This visual connection can help you remember that 'wán' means ball or pill.
Usage Notes
Be cautious not to confuse '丸' with similar characters like '完' (wán, meaning complete), as they have different meanings. '丸' is generally used in informal contexts, especially in discussions about food or medicine. Common collocations include '药丸' (yào wán, meaning medicinal pill) and '丸子' (wánzi, meaning meatball).
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 6 word, '丸' connects with other vocabulary related to medicine and food, such as '药' (yào, medicine) and '球' (qiú, ball). Students should focus on its applications in health contexts and practice forming phrases with it.
Cultural Note
'丸' is often found in traditional Chinese medicine, where herbal remedies are frequently made into pill form. This reflects the importance of holistic health practices in Chinese culture.
Common Mistakes
Learners often mistakenly use '丸' in contexts that require more formal or specific terminology, such as using it for general objects instead of specifically for pills or balls. For instance, saying '这是一颗丸' (zhè shì yī kē wán) when referring to a piece of fruit would be incorrect; instead, use '这是一颗水果' (zhè shì yī kē shuǐguǒ).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 丸
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Grammar Patterns of 丸
丸 carries 4 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
我为什么非得服下所有这些药____呢？
Why do I have to take all these pills?
Example Sentences for 丸 (10)
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1
我为什么非得服下所有这些药丸呢？
wǒ wéi shí mó fēi dé fú xià suǒ yǒu zhè xiē yào wán ne？
Why do I have to take all these pills?
2
她让蒂娜把药丸扔进马桶里冲走。
tā ràng dì nà bǎ yào wán rēng jìn mǎ tǒng lǐ chōng zǒu。
She made Tina flush the pills down the toilet.
3
孩子吃掉药丸外面的糖,却把药吐了出来.
hái zǐ chī diào yào wán wài miàn de táng, , què bǎ yào tǔ le chū.
The boy spat out the pill after eating off its sugar coating.
4
目的探讨滋阴明目 丸 抗氧化及扩血管的作用.
mù de tàn tǎo zī yīn míng mù wán kàng yǎng huà jí kuò xiě guǎn de.
Objective To explore the antioxidation and vasodilator effect of Ziyingmingmu Pill ( ZYMMP ).
Proprietary Chinese medicines are: Liu Wei Di Huang Wan , big yin pills.
6
药丸有时包上一层糖衣.
yào wán yǒu shí bāo shàng yī céng táng yī.
Pills are sometimes coated with sugar.
7
看见他那个四喜丸子的脸,人就饱了. ”
kàn jiàn tā nà gè sì xǐ wán zǐ de liǎn, , rén jiù bǎo.”
Just looking at that meatball face of his will make people feel full, " he said.
8
婴孩把苦药丸吐了出来.
yīng hái bǎ kǔ yào wán tǔ le chū lái.
The baby spat out the bitter pill.
9
我拿起一粒药丸，把它嚼碎。
wǒ ná qǐ yī lì yào wán， ， bǎ tā jiáo。
I took one of the pills and chewed it up.
10
目的: 观察抗荨丸治疗飞行员急慢性荨麻疹的临床疗效.
mù de: : guān chá kàng qián wán zhì liáo fēi háng yuán jí màn xìng qián má zhěn de lín chuáng liáo.
Objective : To observe the clinical effect of Kangxunwan on acute urticaria in pilots.
Cultural Notes for 丸
🏮Cultural insight
'丸' is often found in traditional Chinese medicine, where herbal remedies are frequently made into pill form. This reflects the importance of holistic health practices in Chinese culture.
Word Family of 丸
Compounds25
执zhi2to execute (a plan)
孰shu2who? which? what? which one?
纨wan2gauze; fine white silk
蟄zhe2to hibernate
汍
埶yi4art
芄wan2leaf-blade vine; Metaplexis
騺
骫
執zhi2to execute; to grasp, to hold; to keep; to sieze, to detain
奿
慹
漐
犱
秇
笂
紈wan2gauze; fine white silk
縶
肒
褺
訙
謺
贄zhi4tribute; a gift given to a superior
釻
鷙zhi4hawk, vulture
Words Containing This Character14
丸wánball
睾丸testicle
药丸pill藥丸
丸子pills
肉丸meatball
定心丸dìngxīnwántranquilizer
鱼丸fish ball魚丸
弹丸pellet彈丸
樟脑丸camphor balls樟腦丸
丸剂pill丸劑
睾丸酮testosterone
炸丸子croquettes
宽心丸reassuring explanation寬心丸
丸山Maruyama (Japanese surname and place name)
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 执 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 丸
'丸' is often used in phrases like '药丸' (yào wán) for medicinal pills and '鱼丸' (yú wán) for fish balls.
The pronunciation 'wán' has a rising tone, similar to asking a question in English.
'丸' is typically used in informal contexts; in formal writing, you might use more technical terms for pills or rounded objects.
