How to Write 圈 (juàn/quān) — Meaning “circle / ring / loop”

Imagine a roll of tape (卷) placed inside a square box (囗). The tape forms a circle inside the box, so whenever you see this character, think of a "circle in a box."

Start with the outer 囗 (enclosure), writing the left vertical, top horizontal, right vertical, and bottom horizontal in order. Inside, write 卷 carefully — the top part 㐄 has two horizontal strokes, then 月-like shape, and finally the ㇆ hook — common mistakes include making the inner part too large or forgetting the bottom stroke of the enclosure.

圈 means "circle" or "pen" (like 猪圈 pigsty), while 囿 means "park" or "limited" (as in 囿于 limited by). 圂 is rare and means "pigsty" or "confusion". Visually, 圈 has 卷 inside, 囿 has 有, and 圂 has 豕 (pig), so the inner part decides the meaning.

圈 is common in words like 圆圈 (circle), 圈套 (trap), and 圈起来 (to encircle). In everyday life, 朋友圈 (Friend Circle) means a social circle on WeChat, showing how the idea of a closed group of friends is expressed with this character.

Common words containing 圈 include: 圆圈 (yuán quān) — Circle; 圈套 (quān tào) — Trap/Snare; 猪圈 (zhū quān) — Pigsty.