丸
ball; pellet
At a glance · 丸
Evolution of the glyph
Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.
Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE
⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested：oracle bone form、seal script form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.
小篆象仄斜的一点（丶）置于「仄」上以表小圆团，本义为小圆球。指事/象形。
What the sketch shows
Origins & notes
本义为小而圆的球状物。
Structure
指事字，象小点表圆丸之形。
At a glance
Pinyinwán
Radical丿
Strokes3
UnicodeU+4E38
Character type指事
Theme器物
Six languages, one character
Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.
English
ball; pellet
A small round ball or pellet.
Français
boule; pilule
Une petite boule ou pilule.
Español
bola; píldora
Una bolita o píldora.
العربية
كرة صغيرة
كرة صغيرة أو حبة.
Русский
шарик; пилюля
Маленький шарик или пилюля.
Common words
- 丸wánpill
- 弹丸dàn wánpellet