Explore 周 in words about what surrounds something and what goes all the way around it.

The idea

周 has 8 strokes; follow the linked diagram. Learn 周り（まわり）, 周辺（しゅうへん）, 円周（えんしゅう） and 二周（にしゅう） as whole words. The reading changes with the word.

Patterns to compare
WordReadingExample
周辺しゅうへんThere are many shops around the station.
周りまわりPlease look around you.
円周えんしゅうI measured the circumference of the circle.
二周にしゅうI ran two laps around the park.
十周年じゅっしゅうねんThe shop celebrated its tenth anniversary.

Examples

  • 駅えきの周辺しゅうへんには店みせがたくさんあります。There are many shops around the station.
  • 周まわりをよく見みてください。Please look around you.
  • 円えんの円周えんしゅうを測はかりました。I measured the circumference of the circle.
  • 公園こうえんの周まわりを二周にしゅう走はしりました。I ran two laps around the park.
  • その店みせは十周年じゅっしゅうねんを迎むかえました。The shop celebrated its tenth anniversary.
  • 湖みずうみの周まわりを歩あるきました。I walked around the lake.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

周り and 周辺 both refer to surroundings, but 周り can also mean the route around something. Do not confuse 周 with 週, the kanji for a week.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 周辺 in hiragana.

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    しゅうへん

    周辺 is しゅうへん: the area surrounding a place, as in the shops around the station.

  2. Write the reading of 周り in hiragana.

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    まわり

    周り is まわり. In 周りを見る it means the surroundings one looks at.

  3. Choose the missing kanji: 円＿（えんしゅう）［周／週］.

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    周

    周 completes 円周（えんしゅう）, the circumference of a circle. 週 means a week.

Use it today

Write 周 using the stroke diagram. Cover the examples, read 周り and 周辺, then make a sentence with one of them.