园

• Pinyin: yuán
• Hanzi breakdown: 园 = 囗 (enclosure) + 元 (phonetic), meaning garden/park

Meaning

Garden; park; enclosed area. A piece of land used for growing plants or as a place of recreation.

Very common as a suffix in compound words. Common compounds: 公园 (park), 花园 (garden), 幼儿园 (kindergarten), 动物园 (zoo), 植物园 (botanical garden), 果园 (orchard), 园区 (park/zone), 校园 (campus). Rarely used alone in modern Chinese.

Examples

1. 这座城市的市中心有一座美丽的植物园。 The city center has a beautiful botanical garden.
2. 果园里的苹果成熟了，农民们忙着采摘。 The apples in the orchard are ripe, and the farmers are busy picking them.
3. 孩子们在幼儿园里学会了很多生活技能。 Children learn many life skills in kindergarten.

Usage Guide

Context: places, nature, institutions

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 我们去公园散步吧。(Let's take a walk in the park.)
• 这个产业园区很大。(This industrial park is very large.)

Don't Say

• 我去了一个园 — 园通常不单独使用，要加前缀如'公园''花园'

Origin & History

Pictophonetic character with 囗 (enclosure) and 袁 (phonetic). Originally depicted an enclosed area for plants.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal