How to Write 圙 (lüè) — Meaning “enclosure / boundary”

Imagine a big square fence (囗) surrounding a small house (口) with two legs (儿) walking around inside it. This picture reminds you that 圙 means an enclosed area like a courtyard or pasture where people or animals stay.

First write the left vertical stroke of the outer box, then the top horizontal, then all the inner strokes, and finally the bottom horizontal and the right vertical to close the box. Be careful not to make the inner part too large—it should fit completely inside the outer enclosure without touching the frame on all sides.

Both have the same outer radical 囗, but their inner parts are different: 圙 has a more angular, grid-like interior, while 圜 contains the component 袁, which gives it a rounder appearance. In meaning, 圙 refers to a specific type of enclosure (like a Mongolian pasture), whereas 圜 means 'circle' or 'to surround' in classical Chinese.

圙 is very rare in modern Chinese and not part of the HSK vocabulary. It appears mainly in place names in Inner Mongolia, such as 库伦圙 (Kulun Enclosure), and in the word 圙子 for a small courtyard or sheepfold, reflecting traditional Mongolian herding culture. You will almost never see it in everyday Chinese writing.

Common words containing 圙 include: 库伦圙 (kù lún lüè) — Kulun (a type of enclosure); 圙子 (lüè zi) — enclosure / small courtyard; 围圙 (wéi lüè) — Enclosure / Pasture.