This cube can be used to learn Mandarin Chinese words built of two characters. Characters are connected
on a circle on each face, hence cube name Yuán or 圆, which means 'circle' in Chinese.
While most of Chinese words are composed of two characters, words of one, three or four characters do exist but are less
commonly used.
In the initial state, stickers are numbered row by row from C1 to C9 on each face and 8 words can be built
per face (C1-C2, C2-C3, C3-C6, C6-C9, C9-C8, C8-C7, C7-C4, C4-C1), giving 48 words per cube. Moving edge pieces allows to
build many more words. A database has been used to find words that give a maximum of combinations between characters on
corners and edges.
This cube was designed in 2013 by André
Boulouard, I-Ling Quilfen and Walter Randelshofer.
Blue circle (up)
| Mandarin |
Transcription |
English |
Circle |
| 路口 |
lùkōu |
intersection |
◼◼ |
| 口语 |
kōuyǔ |
spoken language |
◼◼ |
| 语法 |
yǔfǎ |
grammar |
◼◼ |
| 法医 |
fǎyī |
forensic investigator |
◼◼ |
| 医道 |
yīdào |
art of medicine |
◼◼ |
| 道家 |
dàojiā |
taoism |
◼◼ |
| 家电 |
jiādiàn |
appliances |
◼◼ |
| 电路 |
diànlù |
electric circuit |
◼◼ |
Yellow circle (right)
| Mandarin |
Transcription |
English |
Circle |
| 外公 |
wàigōng |
maternal grandfather |
◼◼ |
| 公开 |
gōngkāi |
open to the public |
◼◼ |
| 开本 |
kāiběn |
format |
◼◼ |
| 本国 |
běnguó |
national |
◼◼ |
| 国书 |
guóshū |
credentials |
◼◼ |
| 书名 |
shūmíng |
title |
◼◼ |
| 名分 |
míngfèn |
social status |
◼◼ |
| 分外 |
fènwài |
exceptionally |
◼◼ |
Red circle (front)
| Mandarin |
Transcription |
English |
Circle |
| 火车 |
huǒchē |
train |
◼◼ |
| 车身 |
chēshēn |
car body |
◼◼ |
| 身心 |
shēnxīn |
body and mind |
◼◼ |
| 心想 |
xīnxiǎng |
to think |
◼◼ |
| 想出 |
xiǎngchū |
to come up with |
◼◼ |
| 出发 |
chūfā |
to leave |
◼◼ |
| 发起 |
fāqǐ |
to launch |
◼◼ |
| 起火 |
qǐhuǒ |
to catch fire |
◼◼ |
Green circle (down)
| Mandarin |
Transcription |
English |
Circle |
| 门生 |
ménshēng |
disciple |
◼◼ |
| 生日 |
shēngrì |
birthday |
◼◼ |
| 日上 |
rìshàng |
all day long |
◼◼ |
| 上天 |
shàngtiān |
Heaven, God |
◼◼ |
| 天下 |
tiānxià |
world |
◼◼ |
| 下海 |
xiàhǎi |
to take to the sea |
◼◼ |
| 海关 |
hǎiguān |
customs |
◼◼ |
| 关门 |
guānmén |
to close the door |
◼◼ |
Orange circle (back)
| Mandarin |
Transcription |
English |
Circle |
| 作风 |
zuòfēng |
style |
◼◼ |
| 风水 |
fēngshuǐ |
feng shui |
◼◼ |
| 水文 |
shuǐwén |
hydrology |
◼◼ |
| 文言 |
wényán |
classical Chinese language |
◼◼ |
| 言行 |
yánxíng |
words and deeds |
◼◼ |
| 行动 |
xíngdòng |
action |
◼◼ |
| 动工 |
dònggōng |
to begin work |
◼◼ |
| 工作 |
gōngzuò |
to work |
◼◼ |
Gray circle (left)
| Mandarin |
Transcription |
English |
Circle |
| 用人 |
yòngrén |
servant |
◼◼ |
| 人手 |
rénshǒu |
manpower |
◼◼ |
| 手提 |
shǒutí |
mobile phone |
◼◼ |
| 提成 |
tíchéng |
deduct a percentage |
◼◼ |
| 成长 |
chéngzhǎng |
to grow up |
◼◼ |
| 长高 |
zhǎnggāo |
to grow taller |
◼◼ |
| 高中 |
gāozhōng |
senior middle school |
◼◼ |
| 中用 |
zhōngyòng |
usable |
◼◼ |
Edges
| Mandarin |
Transcription |
English |
Circle |
| 公法 |
gōngfǎ |
public law |
◼◼ |
| 车道 |
chēdào |
road |
◼◼ |
| 人电 |
réndiàn |
magnetic healer, chiropractor |
◼◼ |
| 电人 |
diànrén |
robot Denjin Zaborger
(Japanese TV series in 1974) |
◼◼ |
| 风口 |
fēngkǒu |
air vent, drafty place |
◼◼ |
| 口风 |
kǒufēng |
intention |
◼◼ |
| 分心 |
fēnxīn |
to be distracted |
◼◼ |
| 提起 |
tíqǐ |
to mention |
◼◼ |
| 中文 |
zhōngwén |
Chinese language |
◼◼ |
| 工本 |
gōngběn |
cost price |
◼◼ |
| 上书 |
shàngshū |
to give one's opinion |
◼◼ |
| 出生 |
chūshēng |
to be born |
◼◼ |
| 长关 |
zhǎngguān |
administrative or military chief |
◼◼ |
| 关长 |
guānzhǎng |
customs chief |
◼◼ |
| 下行 |
xiàxíng |
descending |
◼◼ |
All 6 circles of the cube are connected by edges. Characters on the 12 edges make an additional set of
two-character words.
More words
| Mandarin |
Transcription |
English |
Circle |
| 路道 |
lùdào |
road, path |
◼◼ |
| 法语 |
fǎyǔ |
French spoken language |
◼◼ |
| 法家 |
fǎjiā |
legalist school |
◼◼ |
| 道路 |
dàolù |
road, path, way |
◼◼ |
| 家口 |
jiākǒu |
members of a family |
◼◼ |
| 法国 |
fǎguó |
France |
◼◼ |
| 家书 |
jiāshū |
letter to/from family |
◼◼ |
| 路上 |
lùshàng |
on the road |
◼◼ |
| 医生 |
yīshēng |
medical doctor |
◼◼ |
| 电门 |
diànmén |
electric switch |
◼◼ |
| 口水 |
kǒushuǐ |
saliva |
◼◼ |
| 电动 |
diàndòng |
electric powered |
◼◼ |
| 路人 |
lùrén |
passer-by, stranger |
◼◼ |
| 家人 |
jiārén |
household, one's family |
◼◼ |
| 家长 |
jiāzhǎng |
family head |
◼◼ |
| 公国 |
gōngguó |
duchy, dukedom |
◼◼ |
| 分开 |
fēnkāi |
to separate, to part |
◼◼ |
| 外电 |
wàidiàn |
reports from foreign news agencies |
◼◼ |
| 公路 |
gōnglù |
road, highway |
◼◼ |
| 公家 |
gōngjiā |
the state |
◼◼ |
| 开口 |
kāikǒu |
to start to talk |
◼◼ |
| 开道 |
kāidào |
to clear the way |
◼◼ |
| 本家 |
běnjiā |
a member of the same clan |
◼◼ |
| 国法 |
guófǎ |
national law |
◼◼ |
| 书家 |
shūjiā |
calligrapher |
◼◼ |
| 开车 |
kāichē |
to drive |
◼◼ |
| 开心 |
kāixīn |
happy |
◼◼ |
| 本身 |
běnshēn |
oneself |
◼◼ |
| 公海 |
gōnghǎi |
high sea, international waters |
◼◼ |
| 开关 |
kāiguān |
power switch |
◼◼ |
| 名下 |
míngxià |
under somebody's name |
◼◼ |
| 外文 |
wàiwén |
foreign language |
◼◼ |
| 开工 |
kāigōng |
to begin work |
◼◼ |
| 外长 |
wàizhǎng |
minister of foreign affairs |
◼◼ |
| 公用 |
gōngyòng |
public, for public use |
◼◼ |
| 国人 |
guórén |
fellow countrymen |
◼◼ |
| 名人 |
míngrén |
celebrity |
◼◼ |
| 心火 |
xīnhuǒ |
internal heat |
◼◼ |
| 想起 |
xiǎngqǐ |
to remember |
◼◼ |
| 发出 |
fāchū |
to issue |
◼◼ |
| 起身 |
qǐshēn |
to get up |
◼◼ |
| 想法 |
xiǎngfǎ |
idea |
◼◼ |
| 出路 |
chūlù |
outlet |
◼◼ |
| 发电 |
fādiàn |
to generate electricity |
◼◼ |
| 起家 |
qǐjiā |
to start out |
◼◼ |
| 身分 |
shēnfen |
identity |
◼◼ |
| 身上 |
shēnshang |
on the body |
◼◼ |
| 发生 |
fāshēng |
to occur |
◼◼ |
| 心动 |
xīndòng |
emotionally affected |
◼◼ |
| 发文 |
fāwén |
message sent |
◼◼ |
| 发行 |
fāxíng |
to distribute |
◼◼ |
| 身长 |
shēncháng |
height |
◼◼ |
| 起用 |
qǐyòng |
to reinstate (in a position or job) |
◼◼ |
| 上门 |
shàngmén |
to drop in, to visit |
◼◼ |
| 上海 |
shànghǎi |
Shanghai |
◼◼ |
| 天生 |
tiānshēng |
innate, natural |
◼◼ |
| 天上 |
tiānshàng |
heavenly, in the sky |
◼◼ |
| 海上 |
hǎishàng |
at sea |
◼◼ |
| 门口 |
ménkǒu |
doorway, gate |
◼◼ |
| 门道 |
méndào |
doorway, gateway |
◼◼ |
| 生路 |
shēnglù |
means of living |
◼◼ |
| 上路 |
shànglù |
to take the road |
◼◼ |
| 海口 |
hǎikǒu |
seaport |
◼◼ |
| 日本 |
rìběn |
Japan |
◼◼ |
| 天公 |
tiāngōng |
heaven, lord of heaven |
◼◼ |
| 天书 |
tiānshū |
heavenly book, illegible writing |
◼◼ |
| 天分 |
tiānfèn |
natural gift, talent |
◼◼ |
| 生火 |
shēnghuǒ |
to light a fire |
◼◼ |
| 日出 |
rìchū |
sunrise |
◼◼ |
| 上火 |
shànghuǒ |
to get angry |
◼◼ |
| 上身 |
shàngshēn |
upper part of the body |
◼◼ |
| 天车 |
tiānchē |
crane |
◼◼ |
| 生水 |
shēngshuǐ |
unboiled water |
◼◼ |
| 生动 |
shēngdòng |
lively, vivid |
◼◼ |
| 日文 |
rìwén |
Japanese language |
◼◼ |
| 日工 |
rìgōng |
day worker |
◼◼ |
| 上水 |
shàngshuǐ |
to sail upstream |
◼◼ |
| 天文 |
tiānwén |
astronomy |
◼◼ |
| 天工 |
tiāngōng |
work of Nature |
◼◼ |
| 下水 |
xiàshuǐ |
to go into the water, to launch a ship |
◼◼ |
| 海风 |
hǎifēng |
sea wind, sea breeze |
◼◼ |
| 生手 |
shēngshǒu |
beginner |
◼◼ |
| 日中 |
rìzhōng |
noon, midday |
◼◼ |
| 上手 |
shàngshǒu |
seat of honour |
◼◼ |
| 下手 |
xiàshǒu |
to start |
◼◼ |
| 作文 |
zuòwén |
to write an essay, a composition |
◼◼ |
| 风动 |
fēngdòng |
pneumatic |
◼◼ |
| 作法 |
zuòfǎ |
practice, method of doing something |
◼◼ |
| 水道 |
shuǐdào |
acqueduct, sewer |
◼◼ |
| 行医 |
xíngyī |
to practice medicine |
◼◼ |
| 水分 |
shuǐfèn |
moisture content |
◼◼ |
| 风发 |
fēngfā |
high spirits |
◼◼ |
| 水车 |
shuǐchē |
waterwheel |
◼◼ |
| 文火 |
wénhuǒ |
small flame (when cooking) |
◼◼ |
| 文身 |
wénshēn |
tattoo |
◼◼ |
| 动心 |
dòngxīn |
tempted |
◼◼ |
| 水下 |
shuǐxià |
underwater |
◼◼ |
| 动人 |
dòngrén |
touching, moving |
◼◼ |
| 提高 |
tígāo |
to raise, to increase |
◼◼ |
| 成人 |
chéngrén |
adult |
◼◼ |
| 用法 |
yòngfǎ |
usage |
◼◼ |
| 人家 |
rénjiā |
household, other people |
◼◼ |
| 手法 |
shǒufǎ |
technique, trick, skill |
◼◼ |
| 中医 |
zhōngyī |
traditional Chinese medical science |
◼◼ |
| 手书 |
shǒushū |
handwritten |
◼◼ |
| 提名 |
tímíng |
to nominate |
◼◼ |
| 成分 |
chéngfèn |
element, component |
◼◼ |
| 成本 |
chéngběn |
cost price |
◼◼ |
| 中外 |
zhōngwài |
Sino-foreign |
◼◼ |
| 中国 |
zhōngguó |
China |
◼◼ |
| 用心 |
yòngxīn |
intention |
◼◼ |
| 人身 |
rénshēn |
human being |
◼◼ |
| 手车 |
shǒuchē |
handcart |
◼◼ |
| 手心 |
shǒuxīn |
the palm of the hand |
◼◼ |
| 成心 |
chéngxīn |
deliberately |
◼◼ |
| 人海 |
rénhǎi |
a multitude, a sea of people |
◼◼ |
| 手生 |
shǒushēng |
to get rusty |
◼◼ |
| 手下 |
shǒuxià |
under control of somebody |
◼◼ |
| 中天 |
zhōngtiān |
culmination (astronomy) |
◼◼ |
| 手工 |
shǒugōng |
handwork, manual |
◼◼ |
| 成风 |
chéngfēng |
to become a common practice |
◼◼ |
Additional set of two-character words.