循 means “circulate, cycle, follow”

じゅん · jun

Also: sequential

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ジュン

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 12 strokes

The story

A step (彳) beside a shield (盾): picture a sentry walking the same loop around the walls, shield in hand. 循 lives in 循環, circulation: blood, loop buses and recycled resources all 循環, and a 悪循環 is a vicious circle.

Used in 循環 (junkan, circulation/cycle), 悪循環 (akujunkan, vicious circle), and 循環器 (junkanki, circulatory organs)

More from Routes & Returns

• 旋 revolve
• 迭 replace
• 遷 move
• 遡 go upstream
• 臨 face
• 還 return
• 至 reach
• 滞 stagnate
• 沿 run along
• 巡 go around
• 往 go
• 軌 track

Learn 循 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.