Definitions

yuán shaft of a cart or carriage; (bound form) entrance gate of a military camp or yamen; (fig.) government office

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Simplified form of .

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "辕" derives from a phono-semantic construction, integrating the radical "车" to convey its association with vehicles and the component "袁" to suggest its pronunciation, as seen in its traditional form "轅". Originally denoting the precise wooden shafts extending from a cart to harness the pulling animal, the term held a strictly mechanical meaning within the context of classical transportation. Over time, its usage broadened from this concrete referent into more abstract or institutional domains, most notably in the compound "辕门", which originally described a gateway formed by upright cart shafts and later evolved to designate the formal entrance of a military headquarters or government compound, reflecting a semantic shift from physical apparatus to a symbol of authority.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

马车车坏了。

Mǎchē chē yuán huài le.

The carriage shaft is broken.

他修好了马车的车

Tā xiū hǎo le mǎchē de chē yuán.

He fixed the carriage's shaft.

上挂着一盏灯。

Chē yuán shàng guà zhe yī zhǎn dēng.

A lantern is hanging on the shaft.

士兵们守在门外。

Shìbīng men shǒu zài yuán mén wài.

The soldiers are guarding outside the camp gate.

古代战车都有坚固车

Gǔdài zhànchē dōu yǒu jiāngù chē yuán.

Ancient chariots all have sturdy shafts.

黄帝是中华始祖。

Xuān Yuán Huángdì shì Zhōnghuá shǐzǔ.

Emperor Xuanyuan is the ancestor of the Chinese nation.

因为车断裂马车停了。

Yīnwèi chē yuán duànliè mǎchē tíng le.

The carriage stopped because the shaft snapped.

制造马车时车选材关键。

Zhìzào mǎchē shí chē yuán xuǎncái guānjiàn.

When building a carriage, shaft material selection is crucial.