盘旋

盤旋

pánxuán

verb #11,623

Meanings

1 to spiral
2 to circle
3 to hover
4 to orbit

Characters

to revolve; to spin

Examples

老鹰在天空中盘旋。

Lǎoyīng zài tiānkōng zhōng pánxuán.

The eagle circled in the sky.

飞机在机场上空盘旋了半小时。

Fēijī zài jīchǎng shàngkōng pánxuán le bàn xiǎoshí.

The plane circled above the airport for half an hour.

Tips

memory

盘 (plate/disc) + 旋 (to revolve) = to revolve in a disc-like circle, like a bird spiraling overhead.

Stroke Order

盘 pán

旋 xuán