转 (zhuǎn) is a Chinese character meaning “to turn”. It is written from 车 (vehicle; cart) and 专 (specialized; focused), side by side, and takes 8 strokes. It has a second reading, zhuàn, which turns up in 转动 — here the two readings are two separate things to learn, not one card with two answers.
Build the character for “to turn; to change direction”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
车 + 专
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（IDS ⿰车专；笔画核验 车4 + 专4 = 8）
Memory aid
A cart (车) pulled by something focused (专) on one point — everything swings around and turns.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 转身zhuǎn shēnto turn around (one's body); to turn one's back转 = zhuǎn
- 扭转niǔ zhuǎnto turn around; to reverse (a situation)转 = zhuǎnspoken asniú zhuǎn
Go deeper
All readings
to turn; to change direction
to turn; to change direction; to shift; to pass on (a message, an item)
改变方向、位置或情况；也表示把东西或话传给另一方。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 转身zhuǎn shēnto turn around (one's body); to turn one's back转 = zhuǎn
- 扭转niǔ zhuǎnto turn around; to reverse (a situation)转 = zhuǎnspoken asniú zhuǎn
to revolve; to rotate
to revolve around an axis; to rotate; to go around; a turn (of a wheel)
绕着中心或轴运动；也指绕圈走动。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 转动zhuàn dòngto rotate; to revolve around an axis转 = zhuàn
Sound component
专 family tone diff
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 转 mean?
转 (zhuǎn) means to turn; to change direction; to shift; to pass on (a message, an item).
How do you pronounce 转?
Its main reading is zhuǎn. It also has a second reading, zhuàn, which only shows up in certain words such as 转动 — so the word tells you the reading, not the character on its own.
Why is 转 sometimes pronounced zhuàn?
Because it is a multi-reading character: each reading carries a different sense, and the word decides which one applies. In 转动 it is read zhuàn.
What parts is 转 made of?
车 (vehicle; cart) and 专 (specialized; focused), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（IDS ⿰车专；笔画核验 车4 + 专4 = 8）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 转 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 转?
车. 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 转?
Common ones are 转身 and 扭转. The reading of 转 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.