Definitions

quán limited (in talent or ability); a solid wheel without spokes

Etymology

A complete wheel  also provides the pronunciation

About

is a phono-semantic compound: the simplified vehicle radical (chē) on the left places it in the semantic field of wheeled transport, while (quán) on the right supplies the pronunciation and contributes the meaning "whole, complete". That meaning is fitting, the character denotes a solid wooden wheel without spokes, a complete wheel. is the simplified form of the traditional , which uses the unsimplified radical . In addition to the wheel itself, the term can occasionally refer to a small cart built with such wheels.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern