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晕 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
yūnconfusedHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 日, rank #2461, Hard
yūndizzyHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 日, rank #2461, Hard
yūngiddyHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 日, rank #2461, Hard
yūnto faintHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 日, rank #2461, Hard
yūnto swoonHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 日, rank #2461, Hard
yūnto lose consciousnessHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 日, rank #2461, Hard
yūnto pass outHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 日, rank #2461, Hard
yūnhaloHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 日, rank #2461, Hard
yūnring around moon or sunHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 日, rank #2461, Hard
yūndizzy, faint, foggy; to see starsHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 日, rank #2461, Hard
yùnconfusedHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 日, rank #2461, Hard
yùndizzyHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 日, rank #2461, Hard
yùngiddyHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 日, rank #2461, Hard
yùnto faintHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 日, rank #2461, Hard
yùnto swoonHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 日, rank #2461, Hard
yùnto lose consciousnessHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 日, rank #2461, Hard
yùnto pass outHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 日, rank #2461, Hard
yùnhaloHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 日, rank #2461, Hard
yùnring around moon or sunHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 日, rank #2461, Hard
yùndizzy, faint, foggy; to see starsHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 日, rank #2461, Hard
yūn(yun1)
primary
T1
  1. 1confused
  2. 2dizzy
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
(暈)yūn(yun1)

The character 晕 (yūn) primarily means to feel dizzy or giddy, often associated with fainting or losing consciousness. It can also refer to a halo or ring, especially around celestial bodies like the moon or sun. In everyday language, it conveys a sense of confusion or being overwhelmed.

Strokes10RadicalFrequency#2461DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, experiencing dizziness or fainting may be linked to an imbalance of qi (energy) in the body. Additionally, the concept of halos around celestial bodies is culturally significant, often associated with auspicious signs.

Memory Tip

Think of a spinning wheel when you feel dizzy; both convey a sense of rotation. The character 晕 visually suggests a swirling motion, with the left side representing light (日) and the right side representing confusion (云). Imagine seeing a halo (the sun or moon) while spinning in circles to remember both meanings.

Meanings of 晕

yūn(yun1)
primary
1confused
2dizzy
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 晕

Simplified
Traditional
10Strokes
Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#2461Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L6IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRC1

Podcast: 晕

JasonAmy

Podcast:

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AI Study Notes for 晕

Quick Contrast

晕 (yūn) vs 眩 (xuàn) — use 晕 for dizziness related to fainting or confusion, while 眩 refers specifically to a spinning sensation or visual disturbance.

Memory Mnemonic

Think of a spinning wheel when you feel dizzy; both convey a sense of rotation. The character 晕 visually suggests a swirling motion, with the left side representing light (日) and the right side representing confusion (云). Imagine seeing a halo (the sun or moon) while spinning in circles to remember both meanings.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 晕 with similar-sounding words that have different meanings. This term is generally informal, often used in conversational contexts. Common collocations include '晕车' (yūn chē) meaning 'to feel carsick' and '晕倒' (yūn dǎo) meaning 'to faint.'

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 5 word, 晕 connects with other terms related to health and sensations, such as 疼 (téng) meaning 'pain' and 恶心 (èxīn) meaning 'nausea.' Students should focus on its various meanings and contexts to improve comprehension.

Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, experiencing dizziness or fainting may be linked to an imbalance of qi (energy) in the body. Additionally, the concept of halos around celestial bodies is culturally significant, often associated with auspicious signs.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 晕 with other similar characters like 云 (yún), which means 'cloud.' For example, saying '我今天云了' instead of '我今天晕了' (I felt dizzy today) is incorrect. Remember, 晕 relates to dizziness and confusion, while 云 refers to clouds.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 晕

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Etymology of 晕

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

Phonosemantic compound. 日 represents the meaning and 军 represents the sound. Simplified form of 暈.

Memory Hint

sun

Semantic (meaning)
+
Phonetic (sound)
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 晕?

Decomposition of 晕

IDS Structure⿱日军
Full Character
=
Ri4
top
jun1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 晕?

Write 晕

Practice writing 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 晕

晕 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 10 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

在街上看见有人饿____是很平常的事。

It's commonplace to see people collapsing from hunger in the streets.

Common Confusions with 晕

vs
yún

Similar pronunciation but different meaning.

Exercise 1 of 1

Spot the Difference

Which character means "confused"?

or

Example Sentences for 晕 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
在街上看见有人饿晕是很平常的事。

zài jiē shàng kàn jiàn yǒu rén è yùn shì hěn píng cháng de shì。

It's commonplace to see people collapsing from hunger in the streets.
2
突然,我骨碌碌地滚下坡,完全晕头转向了。

tū rán, , wǒ gǔ lù lù dì gǔn xià, pō , wán quán yùn tóu zhuǎn。

Suddenly I was cartwheeling down the slope, all orientation gone.
3
光是摆在那里的各式商品就让一些购物者晕头转向了。

guāng shì bǎi zài nà lǐ de gè shì shāng pǐn jiù ràng yī xiē gòu wù zhě yùn tóu zhuǎn xiàng le。

Some shoppers looked bewildered by the sheer variety of goods on offer.
4
在朋友家过夜让我觉得晕晕乎乎的。

zài péng yǒu jiā guò yè ràng wǒ jué dé yùn yùn hū hū de。

An overnight stay at a friend's house disorients me.
5
两个领导被这个建议搞晕了。

liǎng gè lǐng dǎo bèi zhè gè jiàn yì gǎo yùn le。

The two leaders were flummoxed by the suggestion.
6
这类人可能会莫名其妙地感到头晕。

zhè lèi rén kě néng huì mò míng qí miào dì gǎn dào tóu yùn。

The person may become dizzy for no apparent reason.
7
有时海上波涛汹涌,她就会晕船。

yǒu shí hǎi shàng bō tāo xiōng yǒng, , tā jiù huì yùn。

It was quite rough at times, and she was seasick.
8
用的含东莨菪碱的晕车药, 儿童应慎用.

yòng de hán dōng làng dàng jiǎn de yùn chē yào, , ér tóng yīng shèn.

Patches containing the drug scopolamine, used are not recommended for children.
9
爬那么高使我感到头晕目眩。

pá nà mó gāo shǐ wǒ gǎn dào tóu yùn mù xuàn。

Climbing so high made me feel dizzy .
10
他四杯酒下肚后开始感到头晕目眩起来。

tā sì bēi jiǔ xià dù hòu kāi shǐ gǎn dào tóu yùn mù xuàn qǐ lái。

After four glasses of wine he began to feel light-headed.

Cultural Notes for 晕

🏮Cultural insight

In traditional Chinese culture, experiencing dizziness or fainting may be linked to an imbalance of qi (energy) in the body. Additionally, the concept of halos around celestial bodies is culturally significant, often associated with auspicious signs.

Word Family of 晕

Words Containing This Character20
yūndizzy
头晕tóuyūndizzy頭暈
晕倒yūndǎoto faint暈倒
眩晕vertigo眩暈
晕头转向confused and disoriented暈頭轉向
晕车yùnchēto be carsick暈車
晕船to become seasick暈船
晕厥to faint暈厥
红晕to blush紅暈
头晕目眩dazzled頭暈目眩
发晕to feel dizzy發暈
头晕眼花to faint with blurred vision (idiom); dizzy and eyes dimmed頭暈眼花
晕乎dizzy暈乎
晕眩to feel dizzy暈眩
光晕halo光暈
晕机to become airsick暈機
乳晕mammary areola乳暈
眼晕to feel dizzy眼暈
晕针to faint during acupuncture or injection暈針
月晕lunar halo月暈
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 晕 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 晕

While both can mean dizzy, 头晕 (tóu yūn) specifically refers to dizziness associated with the head, while 晕 can have broader meanings including confusion.