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辗 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
辗zhǎnto roll over; to turn on a sidev, 14 strokes, radical 车, rank #21462, Very Hard
辗zhǎnroll over on sideunknown, 14 strokes, radical 车, rank #21462, Very Hard
辗zhǎnturn half overunknown, 14 strokes, radical 车, rank #21462, Very Hard
辗niǎnto roll over; to turn on a sidev, 14 strokes, radical 车, rank #21462, Very Hard
辗niǎnroll over on sideunknown, 14 strokes, radical 车, rank #21462, Very Hard
辗niǎnturn half overunknown, 14 strokes, radical 车, rank #21462, Very Hard
niǎn(nian3)
primary
 T3
  1. 1to roll over; to turn on a side
  2. 2roll over on side
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

辗(輾)niǎn(nian3)

The character 辗 (niǎn) refers to the action of rolling over or turning onto one side. It is often used in contexts relating to physical movement, such as when a person or object turns or rolls over. This character can convey both literal and figurative meanings, such as rolling over in bed or changing one's position.

Strokes14Radical车Frequency#21462DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the act of rolling over can symbolize change or transformation, often reflecting the idea of adapting to new circumstances, whether in a physical position or in life situations.

Memory Tip

Imagine a big rolling wheel (辗) that turns over and over as it moves along a path. The sound 'niǎn' can be remembered by picturing someone napping and rolling over in their cozy bed, creating the need to turn to the side for comfort.

Meanings of 辗

niǎn(nian3)
primary
1to roll over; to turn on a side
2roll over on side
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 辗

辗Simplified
輾Traditional
14Strokes
车Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 辗

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Podcast: 辗

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AI Study Notes for 辗

Usage Notes

Be careful with the tone; 'niǎn' has a third tone, which can be confused with other similar-sounding words. This word is more commonly used in informal contexts, and learners might encounter it in phrases about physical actions or changes in position. Common collocations include 辗转 (niǎn zhuǎn), meaning to turn over repeatedly.

HSK Study Tips

While 辗 is not currently included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it can be connected to HSK Level 4 verbs related to movement or change, like 转 (zhuǎn, to turn) or 滚 (gǔn, to roll). Students should focus on mastering the pronunciation and recognizing it in context.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 辗 (niǎn) with similar-sounding words like 练 (liàn), which means to practice. A common mistake is saying '我辗这个问题' (Wǒ niǎn zhège wèntí), instead of '我练习这个问题' (Wǒ liànxí zhège wèntí) meaning 'I practice this question.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 辗

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Etymology of 辗

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

Phonosemantic compound. 车 represents the meaning and 展 represents the sound. Simplified form of 輾.

Memory Hint

cart

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 辗

Phonosemantic compound. 车 represents the meaning and 展 represents the sound. Simplified form of 輾.

  1. 1The meaning half车 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half展 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaycart
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 辗? 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 辗?

Decomposition of 辗

IDS Structure⿰车展
辗Full Character
=
车Che1
left
展Zhan3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 辗?

How to say to roll over; to turn on a side in Chinese

“to roll over; to turn on a side” in Chinese is辗zhǎn

The character 辗 (niǎn) refers to the action of rolling over or turning onto one side. It is often used in contexts relating to physical movement, such as when a person or object turns or rolls over. This character can convey both literal and figurative meanings, such as rolling over in bed or changing one's position.

When to use 辗

Be careful with the tone; 'niǎn' has a third tone, which can be confused with other similar-sounding words. This word is more commonly used in informal contexts, and learners might encounter it in phrases about physical actions or changes in position. Common collocations include 辗转 (niǎn zhuǎn), meaning to turn over repeatedly.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 辗 (niǎn) with similar-sounding words like 练 (liàn), which means to practice. A common mistake is saying '我辗这个问题' (Wǒ niǎn zhège wèntí), instead of '我练习这个问题' (Wǒ liànxí zhège wèntí) meaning 'I practice this question.'

Write 辗

辗

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 辗

辗 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

赫特在从巴黎起飞的飞机上____转反侧了几个小时。

Hurt had spent a restless few hours on the plane from Paris.

Example Sentences for 辗 (4)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
赫特在从巴黎起飞的飞机上辗转反侧了几个小时。

hè tè zài cóng bā lí qǐ fēi de fēi jī shàng zhǎn zhuǎn fǎn cè le jī gè xiǎo shí。

Hurt had spent a restless few hours on the plane from Paris.
2
他辗转于佛罗伦萨、罗马和博洛尼亚三地之间。

tā zhǎn zhuǎn yú fó luó lún sà、 、 luó mǎ hé bó luò ní yà sān dì zhī。

He spends his time flitting between Florence, Rome and Bologna.
3
她向树后一闪,才没被车从身上辗过.

tā xiàng shù hòu yī shǎn, , cái méi bèi chē cóng shēn shàng zhǎn.

A dodge behind a tree kept her from being run over.
4
生活就象在做辗转反侧的梦一样.

shēng huó jiù xiàng zài zuò zhǎn zhuǎn fǎn cè de mèng yī yàng.

Life was like a restless dream.

Word Family of 辗

Words Containing This Character3
辗转indirectly輾轉
辗niǎnturn half over輾
辗转反侧to toss and turn restlessly (in the bed)輾轉反側
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 辗转 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 辗

It is pronounced as 'niǎn', with a third tone. Remember to dip your voice when saying it.

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