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轉 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
轉zhuǎnto move, to convey; to turn, to revolve, to circle; to forward mailzg, 18 strokes, radical 車
zhuǎn(zhuan3) T3
  1. 1to move, to convey; to turn, to revolve, to circle; to forward mail
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March 24, 2026

轉zhuǎn(zhuan3)

The character 轉 (zhuǎn) primarily means 'to turn' or 'to revolve,' often used in contexts involving movement or direction changes. It can also mean 'to convey,' such as forwarding information or mail. This character is versatile and can be used in both physical and abstract contexts, like turning a page or changing one's mind.

Strokes18Radical車
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, turning or revolving has symbolic meanings, such as transformation and change. The concept of 'turning' is often linked to the idea of adapting to new situations, which is reflected in traditional philosophies like Daoism.

Memory Tip

Imagine a spinning wheel turning around; the shape of 轉 resembles the motion of something rotating. The left part indicates a movement (the radical for 'turn' or 'change'), while the right part suggests a circular motion. Visualize a wheel turning to remember both the meaning and pronunciation.

Meanings of 轉

zhuǎn(zhuan3)
1to move, to convey; to turn, to revolve, to circle; to forward mail
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 轉

轉Simplified
18Strokes
車Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 轉

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Podcast: 轉

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AI Study Notes for 轉

Quick Contrast

转 (zhuǎn) vs 变 (biàn) — use 转 when emphasizing physical turning or revolving, while 变 focuses on changing states or conditions.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 轉 (zhuǎn) with 传 (chuán), which means 'to pass on' or 'to transmit.' This character is more commonly used in informal settings, but can also appear in formal contexts, especially in written instructions. Common collocations include 轉身 (zhuǎn shēn, 'to turn around') and 轉發 (zhuǎn fā, 'to forward').

HSK Study Tips

Although 轉 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it connects to other verbs of movement and direction like 行 (xíng, 'to go') and 回 (huí, 'to return'). Students should practice forming sentences that use 轉 in various contexts to build familiarity and fluency.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 轉 (zhuǎn) instead of 传 (chuán) when referring to forwarding messages, resulting in incorrect phrases like 轉消息 (zhuǎn xiāoxī) instead of 传消息 (chuán xiāoxī). Always ensure you’re using the correct term based on the context.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 轉

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Etymology of 轉

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

Simplified form of 轉. Phonosemantic compound. 車 represents the meaning and 專 represents the sound. Originally written as 專. The 車 component was added later.

Memory Hint

cart

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 轉

Simplified form of 轉. Phonosemantic compound. 車 represents the meaning and 專 represents the sound. Originally written as 專. The 車 component was added later.

  1. 1The meaning half車 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half專 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 轉? 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 轉?

Decomposition of 轉

IDS Structure⿰車專
轉Full Character
=
車che1
left
專zhuan1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 轉?

How to say to move, to convey; to turn, to revolve, to circle; to forward mail in Chinese

“to move, to convey; to turn, to revolve, to circle; to forward mail” in Chinese is轉zhuǎn

The character 轉 (zhuǎn) primarily means 'to turn' or 'to revolve,' often used in contexts involving movement or direction changes. It can also mean 'to convey,' such as forwarding information or mail. This character is versatile and can be used in both physical and abstract contexts, like turning a page or changing one's mind.

When to use 轉

Be careful not to confuse 轉 (zhuǎn) with 传 (chuán), which means 'to pass on' or 'to transmit.' This character is more commonly used in informal settings, but can also appear in formal contexts, especially in written instructions. Common collocations include 轉身 (zhuǎn shēn, 'to turn around') and 轉發 (zhuǎn fā, 'to forward').

轉 or something close to it

转 (zhuǎn) vs 变 (biàn) — use 转 when emphasizing physical turning or revolving, while 变 focuses on changing states or conditions.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly use 轉 (zhuǎn) instead of 传 (chuán) when referring to forwarding messages, resulting in incorrect phrases like 轉消息 (zhuǎn xiāoxī) instead of 传消息 (chuán xiāoxī). Always ensure you’re using the correct term based on the context.

Write 轉

轉

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

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Word Family of 轉

Words Containing This Character20
转zhuǎito turn轉
转移zhuǎnyíto shift轉移
转发to transmit轉發
转变zhuǎnbiànto change轉變
转身zhuǎnshēnto face about轉身
旋转xuánzhuǎnto rotate旋轉
转换zhuǎnhuànto change轉換
好转hǎozhuǎnto improve好轉
转让zhuǎnràngconveyancing (property)轉讓
转向zhuǎnxiàngto change direction轉向
转化zhuǎnhuàto change轉化
运转yùnzhuǎnto work運轉
转载zhuǎnzǎito forward (a shipment)轉載
转转to stroll轉轉
转弯zhuǎnwānto turn轉彎
转动zhuàndòngto revolve轉動
转型zhuǎnxíngtransformation轉型
转告zhuǎngàoto pass on轉告
扭转niǔzhuǎnto reverse扭轉
逆转to turn back逆轉
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 转 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 轉

You can use it in contexts like 你可以把这个文件转给我 (Nǐ kěyǐ bǎ zhège wénjiàn zhuǎn gěi wǒ), meaning 'You can forward this document to me.'

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