团 tuán sphere
sphere; circle; ball; mass; group; regiment
How to remember 团: 囗 enclosure + 才 only just = sphere. In the walled enclosure behind the house the kids have only just finished rolling the snow into a sphere taller than Dad.
Component breakdown
形声 · Meaning + sound
originally 囗 + 專
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
团 = 囗 enclosure + 才 only just
- 囗 enclosure meaning
- 才 only just shape only
In the walled enclosure behind the house the kids have only just finished rolling the snow into a sphere taller than Dad.
How it came to be
The enclosure gives the meaning; in the full form, the part inside gave the sound.
How it is used
- Noun for a cohesive group or round mass, and also a measure word for balled-up things: 一团面 (yī tuán miàn), a ball of dough.
- 团队 (tuánduì), team (workplace/project), 团结 (tuánjié), to unite, 集团 (jítuán): corporation/conglomerate are all common.
- 团圆 (tuányuán) specifically means a family reunion, especially around Spring Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival.
- Compare with 组 (zǔ): 团 suggests an organized, cohesive body (a tour group 旅行团, a military regiment), while 组 is the neutral word for a smaller subdivided team.