圏
sphere, circle, radius, range
Readings
On'yomi
- ケン
Kun'yomi
- かこ.い
Meaning
圏 centers on a bounded area or conceptual domain: a sphere, circle, or range. The idea of a radius fits as the defining line of that bounded space.
Most common words using 圏
20 of 103- 圏けんN1
sphere; circle; range; area; zone; bloc
- 圏内けんないN1
inside (a region, area, etc.); within the range (of); within the sphere (of influence, etc.)
- 圏外けんがいN1
outside (a region, area, etc.); out of range (of a mobile network, radar, etc.); outside the sphere (of influence, etc.); out of contention; out of reach
- 大気圏たいきけんN1
the atmosphere
- 北極圏ほっきょくけん
Arctic Circle; the Arctic
- 成層圏せいそうけん
stratosphere
- 商圏しょうけん
business region; marketing area; commercial sphere; trading area; region in which a business operates
- 首都圏しゅとけんN1
Greater Tokyo Metropolitan area
- 勢力圏せいりょくけんN1
sphere of influence
- 暴風圏ぼうふうけんN1
storm zone
- イスラム圏イスラムけん
Islamic world; Muslim world
- スペイン語圏スペインごけん
Spanish-speaking world; Spanish-speaking countries
- ソ連圏ソれんけん
Soviet bloc
- ドイツ語圏ドイツごけん
German-speaking countries; German language sphere
- フランス語圏フランスごけん
French-speaking world; francophone world; francophonie
- ユーロ圏ユーロけん
eurozone; euro zone; euro area
- 中京圏ちゅうきょうけん
Chūkyō metropolitan area (most of Aichi, and parts of Gifu and Mie prefectures; centered around Nagoya); Chūkyō region
- 中国語圏ちゅうごくごけん
sinophone world; Chinese-speaking world
- 中華圏ちゅうかけん
Greater China (incl. Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and sometimes Singapore); Sinosphere
- 中間圏ちゅうかんけん
mesosphere
Study
Etymology
圏 combines the enclosure 囗 with 巻 (roll, scroll), which likely contributes the sound and the idea of a bounded area. The character expresses a sphere or range.
Meaning mnemonic
The enclosure 囗 wraps around 巻 (scroll), like a scroll defining the boundary of a sphere or range. Picture a rolled-up map inside a box, marking the limits of a territory.
Reading mnemonic
For ケン, imagine a ken (a Japanese prefecture) as a bounded sphere: ken -> ケン, and the enclosure 囗 marks its range.