轮子

lúnzi

wheel

HSK 6

Character Breakdown

Meaning and Usage

The word "轮子" (lúnzi) literally means "wheel" and refers to the circular component that rotates and enables movement in vehicles or machines. It is a common noun used in everyday contexts related to transportation, machinery, and inventions.

Common Collocations

  • 轮子 (wheel is broken): used when a wheel is damaged and needs repair.
  • 轮子转动 (wheel turns): describes the action of the wheel rotating.
  • 轮子设计 (wheel design): refers to the engineering or invention aspect of wheels.

Usage Notes

"轮子" is a concrete noun and usually appears as the subject or object in sentences about physical wheels. It can be combined with verbs like (break), (turn), or (replace). Avoid confusing it with abstract uses of "" which can mean "turn" or "round" in other contexts. "轮子" specifically denotes the physical wheel component.

Cultural Note

The invention of the wheel is often cited as a major technological breakthrough, so "轮子" can sometimes appear metaphorically in discussions about innovation, but this is less common in everyday speech.

Example Sentences

汽车的轮子坏了,需要换一个新的。

Qìchē de lúnzi huài le, xūyào huàn yí ge xīn de.

The car's wheel is broken and needs to be replaced with a new one.

这个机器的轮子转得很快,效率很高。

Zhège jīqì de lúnzi zhuǎn de hěn kuài, xiàolǜ hěn gāo.

The wheels of this machine turn very fast, so it is very efficient.

他发明了一个新的轮子设计,节省了很多材料。

Tā fāmíng le yí ge xīn de lúnzi shèjì, jiéshěng le hěn duō cáiliào.

He invented a new wheel design that saves a lot of material.