丸

• Pinyin: wán
• Hanzi breakdown: 丸 = pictograph of a small round object, showing a bent or curled shape representing a pellet or ball; a standalone character with no standard radical decomposition

Meaning

Pill; pellet; ball. A small, round object — especially a medicinal pill or traditional Chinese herbal medicine tablet.

Functions both as a noun (药丸 = pill) and a measure word (一丸药 = one pill, though 颗 and 粒 are now more common counters). Most commonly encountered in the names of traditional Chinese medicine preparations ending in 丸 (e.g., 六味地黄丸, 牛黄解毒丸). In food contexts: 鱼丸 (fish ball), 肉丸 (meatball). The character appears in both TCM pharmacology and everyday cooking vocabulary.

Examples

1. 中医给他开了一种蜜制的丸药，每天早晚各服一丸。 The TCM doctor prescribed a honey-based pill preparation — one pill to be taken in the morning and one in the evening.
2. 鱼丸爽滑弹牙，是闽南一带最受欢迎的街头小吃之一。 Fish balls with a smooth, springy texture are one of the most beloved street snacks in the Southern Fujian region.
3. 这种急救药一旦发病，应立即在舌下含服一丸，切勿咀嚼。 With this emergency medication, once symptoms onset, one pill should be placed under the tongue immediately — do not chew.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, food, traditional Chinese medicine

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 六味地黄丸是中医常见的滋补肾阴丸药，很多中老年人长期服用。(Liuwei Dihuang Wan is a common TCM tonic pill for nourishing kidney yin, taken long-term by many middle-aged and elderly people.)
• 这颗鱼丸个头很大，一口咬下去汤汁四溢，非常鲜美。(This fish ball is enormous — one bite and the broth bursts out; it's incredibly flavourful.)

Don't Say

• 把丸用作现代西药片剂的通用计量单位 (Modern Western-style tablets are counted with 片 or 颗/粒; 丸 is specifically associated with traditional Chinese medicine pills and food balls)

Origin & History

An ancient character depicting a small round object. The original form shows a coiled or twisted shape suggesting a pellet. Attested in early Chinese medical texts where it specifically denoted rounded medicinal preparations made by hand-rolling.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient to present

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal