轮

• Pinyin: lún
• Hanzi breakdown: 轮 = 车 (vehicle) + 仑 (order, phonetic)

Meaning

Wheel; round; turn; to take turns. Used as a noun (wheel/round), verb (to rotate/take turns), or measure word (a round or cycle).

轮 as a noun refers to a wheel or round disc. As a measure word it counts rounds or cycles (第一轮 = first round). As a verb it means to take turns or rotate. Very common in sports, negotiations, and scheduling contexts.

Examples

1. 比赛进入了第二轮，选手们的竞争更加激烈。 The competition has entered the second round and the competition among contestants is more intense.
2. 我们轮流打扫教室，每人负责一周。 We take turns cleaning the classroom, with each person responsible for one week.
3. 车轮突然坏了，我们只好停下来修车。 The wheel suddenly broke and we had to stop and fix the car.

Usage Guide

Context: sports, everyday, work

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这场谈判已经进行了三轮。(This negotiation has gone through three rounds.)
• 大家轮流发言，每人两分钟。(Everyone takes turns speaking, two minutes each.)

Don't Say

• 不要用'轮'替代'次' — '轮'强调循环或阶段，'次'只表示次数 (Don't substitute 轮 for 次 — 轮 implies a round or cycle, while 次 simply counts instances)

Origin & History

轮 derives from 车 (vehicle) + 仑 (order/arrangement, phonetic), originally describing a wheel with ordered spokes.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal