团

• Pinyin: tuán
• Hanzi breakdown: 团 = 囗 (enclosure) + 才 (simplified phonetic), originally 團 with 專 (round) inside

Meaning

Group; ball; lump. Also a measure word for round or bundled objects.

As a noun, 团 can mean a group of people (旅游团, tour group) or a ball-shaped mass (饭团, rice ball). As a measure word, it is used for things that are round or bundled, such as 一团毛线 (a ball of yarn). Also refers to the Communist Youth League (共青团).

Examples

1. 我们参加了一个旅游团去北京。 We joined a tour group to go to Beijing.
2. 她把废纸揉成了一团扔进了垃圾桶。 She crumpled the waste paper into a ball and threw it in the trash.
3. 桌子上有一团毛线。 There is a ball of yarn on the table.

Usage Guide

Context: travel, organizations, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我们报了一个旅游团。(We signed up for a tour group.)
• 请把面揉成一团。(Please knead the dough into a ball.)

Don't Say

• 一团人在那里。(Don't use 团 as a measure word for a crowd of people — use 群 instead. 团 as a measure word is for round or bundled objects.)

Origin & History

Originally written as 團, depicting something round (專) within an enclosure (囗). The simplified character uses 才 inside 囗.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal