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輪 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
輪lúnwheel; to turn, to revolve; to recurx, 15 strokes, radical 車
lún(lun2) T2
  1. 1wheel; to turn, to revolve; to recur
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March 24, 2026

輪lún(lun2)

The character 輪 (lún) primarily means 'wheel' and is often used in contexts involving rotation or cycles, such as the wheels of vehicles or the concept of time cycles. It can also mean 'to turn' or 'to revolve,' and is frequently used in phrases related to recurring events.

Strokes15Radical車
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of cycles is significant, especially in philosophy and traditional medicine, where the cyclical nature of life is emphasized. The wheel is often associated with the cyclical nature of seasons and time.

Memory Tip

Imagine a large wheel (輪) that rolls around and around, symbolizing movement and cycles. The left part of the character (车) looks like a simplified vehicle, reminding you of wheels, while the right part (侖) can be thought of as a person (亻) turning around that wheel.

Meanings of 輪

lún(lun2)
1wheel; to turn, to revolve; to recur
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 輪

輪Simplified
15Strokes
車Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 輪

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Podcast: 輪

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AI Study Notes for 輪

Quick Contrast

圈 (quān) - use 輪 (lún) when referring to wheels or rotation in a mechanical context, while 圈 (quān) refers more to a circular shape or loop.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 輪 with similar-sounding characters. It is typically used in both formal and informal situations, but is more common in everyday speech regarding physical objects or abstract cycles. Common collocations include 'time wheel' (时间轮) and 'wheel of fortune' (命运轮).

HSK Study Tips

Though not in the official HSK lists, 輪 is relevant for learners who are familiar with basic nouns. It connects with other words related to movement and time, such as 转 (zhuǎn, to turn) and 时 (shí, time). Focus on recognizing its use in compound words.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mix up 輪 with the character 轮 (lún, wheel) when writing, leading to incorrect character formation. Always remember that 輪 includes the vehicle radical (车) as part of its structure.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 輪

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Etymology of 輪

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 车 represents the meaning and 仑 represents the sound. Simplified form of 輪.

Memory Hint

wheel

Semantic (meaning)車
+
Phonetic (sound)侖
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 輪

Phonosemantic compound. 车 represents the meaning and 仑 represents the sound. Simplified form of 輪.

  1. 1The meaning half車 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half侖 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaywheel
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 輪? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 輪?

Decomposition of 輪

IDS Structure⿰車侖
輪Full Character
=
車che1
left
侖lun2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 輪?

How to say wheel; to turn, to revolve; to recur in Chinese

“wheel; to turn, to revolve; to recur” in Chinese is輪lún

The character 輪 (lún) primarily means 'wheel' and is often used in contexts involving rotation or cycles, such as the wheels of vehicles or the concept of time cycles. It can also mean 'to turn' or 'to revolve,' and is frequently used in phrases related to recurring events.

When to use 輪

Be careful not to confuse 輪 with similar-sounding characters. It is typically used in both formal and informal situations, but is more common in everyday speech regarding physical objects or abstract cycles. Common collocations include 'time wheel' (时间轮) and 'wheel of fortune' (命运轮).

輪 or something close to it

圈 (quān) - use 輪 (lún) when referring to wheels or rotation in a mechanical context, while 圈 (quān) refers more to a circular shape or loop.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mix up 輪 with the character 轮 (lún, wheel) when writing, leading to incorrect character formation. Always remember that 輪 includes the vehicle radical (车) as part of its structure.

Write 輪

輪

Practice writing 輪 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 輪

Words Containing This Character20
轮lúnwheel輪
轮胎lúntāitire輪胎
轮椅lúnyǐwheelchair輪椅
轮流lúnliúto alternate輪流
轮子lúnziwheel輪子
车轮chēlúnwheel車輪
首轮first round (of a competition etc)首輪
第二轮second round (of match, or election)第二輪
轮廓lúnkuòan outline輪廓
邮轮ocean liner郵輪
轮回to reincarnate輪迴
齿轮(machine) gear齒輪
三轮车pedicab三輪車
第一轮first round (of match, or election)第一輪
轮船lúnchuánsteamship輪船
油轮tanker (ship)油輪
渡轮ferry boat渡輪
左轮手枪revolver左輪手槍
涡轮turbine渦輪
轮班shift working輪班
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 轮 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 輪

Common phrases include '轮流' (lún liú, to take turns) and '轮胎' (lún tāi, tire).

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