卷 (juǎn) is a Chinese character meaning “to roll something up”. It is written from 龹 (shared upper component of 券 / 卷 / 拳; not an independent character in modern Chinese) and 㔾 (kneeling figure (variant of 卩)), one above the other, and takes 8 strokes. It has a second reading, juàn, which turns up in 问卷 — here the two readings are two separate things to learn, not one card with two answers.
Build the character for “to roll up; a roll”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
龹 + 㔾
Top–bottom structure
- 龹 shared upper component of 券 / 卷 / 拳; not an independent character in modern Chinese sound
- 㔾 kneeling figure (variant of 卩) · jié meaning
Structure from: 说文解字（卷，厀曲也。从卩，𠔉聲）；现代字形拆分 IDS ⿱龹㔾，笔画核验 龹6 + 㔾2 = 8（hanzi-writer-data）
Memory aid
龹 lies flat across the top like a mat, and 㔾 underneath is a body bent double. Press the mat onto the bend and the whole thing curls: 卷, to roll it up.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 卷发juǎn fàcurly hair卷 = juǎn
- 春卷chūn juǎnspring roll卷 = juǎn
Go deeper
All readings
to roll up; a roll
to roll something up; to sweep up; also a roll or cylinder of something, such as a spring roll or a roll of film
把东西弯转成圆筒形；也指卷成圆筒形的东西，如春卷、胶卷。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 卷发juǎn fàcurly hair卷 = juǎn
- 春卷chūn juǎnspring roll卷 = juǎn
volume; exam paper
a volume or fascicle of a book; also a written paper handed in or filled out, such as an exam paper or a questionnaire
书籍的册、篇；也指成张的答卷材料，如试卷、问卷。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 问卷wèn juànquestionnaire卷 = juàn
- 试卷shì juànexam paper卷 = juàn
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 卷 mean?
卷 (juǎn) means to roll something up; to sweep up; also a roll or cylinder of something, such as a spring roll or a roll of film.
How do you pronounce 卷?
Its main reading is juǎn. It also has a second reading, juàn, which only shows up in certain words such as 问卷 — so the word tells you the reading, not the character on its own.
Why is 卷 sometimes pronounced juàn?
Because it is a multi-reading character: each reading carries a different sense, and the word decides which one applies. In 问卷 it is read juàn.
What parts is 卷 made of?
龹 (shared upper component of 券 / 卷 / 拳; not an independent character in modern Chinese) and 㔾 (kneeling figure (variant of 卩)), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字（卷，厀曲也。从卩，𠔉聲）；现代字形拆分 IDS ⿱龹㔾，笔画核验 龹6 + 㔾2 = 8（hanzi-writer-data）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 卷 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 卷?
卩. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 卷?
Common ones are 卷发 and 春卷. The reading of 卷 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.