团圆

• Pinyin: tuán yuán
• Hanzi breakdown: 团 = 囗 (enclosure) + 才 (simplified); 圆 = 囗 (enclosure) + 员 (member, phonetic)

Meaning

To reunite; reunion; being together as a family. The joyful coming together of family members, especially during festivals.

Carries deeper cultural significance than 团聚, emphasizing completeness and the roundness of the full moon as a symbol of family wholeness. Central to Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations. Often used attributively in compounds like 团圆饭 (reunion dinner) and 团圆节 (reunion festival).

Examples

1. 中秋节那天，一家人围坐在一起吃团圆饭。 On Mid-Autumn Festival, the whole family sat together for a reunion dinner.
2. 老人最大的心愿就是儿女都能回来过一个团团圆圆的年。 The elderly person's greatest wish is for all the children to come home for a complete family reunion during the New Year.
3. 月饼象征着团圆，是中秋节不可或缺的食品。 Mooncakes symbolize reunion and are an indispensable food for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Usage Guide

Context: family, festivals, cultural

Tone: warm

Do Say

• 祝你们全家团团圆圆！(Wishing your whole family a happy reunion!)
• 除夕夜的团圆饭是一年中最重要的一顿饭。(The reunion dinner on New Year's Eve is the most important meal of the year.)

Don't Say

• 用'团圆'形容朋友聚会 (Don't use 团圆 for friend gatherings — it specifically implies family reunions with cultural significance)

Origin & History

Compound of 团 (round, complete) + 圆 (round, full). Both characters mean round, emphasizing the completeness of a family gathered together, symbolized by the full moon.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal