丸 wán ball
ball; pebble; pellet; pill
How it came to be
A bent arm curled round, the nine block, with a mark inside the bend. Something rolled between the hands until it is round. The character is the making of the ball, not the ball.
How it is used
- A small round ball - food balls and pills - 鱼丸 (yúwán) fish balls, 丸子 (wánzi) meatballs, 药丸 (yàowán) a pill.
- The classic measure for traditional Chinese medicine pellets; 定心丸 (dìngxīnwán) 'a pill to calm the heart' = something reassuring.
- Everyday register, mostly in food and medicine.