quán: 全 - All, Whole, Entire, Complete

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Summary: 全 (quán) is a fundamental and highly versatile Chinese character meaning 'all', 'whole', or 'complete'. For any beginner, mastering 全 is essential as it's a key building block for expressing totality. It's used to describe everything from a whole family (全家) or the entire country (全国) to concepts like safety (安全). Understanding how 全 functions as a prefix and how it pairs with the adverb 都 (dōu) will significantly improve your fluency and comprehension of Chinese.

Pinyin (with tone marks): quán

Part of Speech: Adjective, Adverb, Prefix

HSK Level: HSK 2

Concise Definition: Encompassing the entirety of a group or object; all, whole, complete.

In a Nutshell: Think of 全 (quán) as a way to “wrap up” a noun to indicate you're talking about the whole thing. If you're talking about your family, 全家 (quánjiā) means your “whole family.” If you're talking about a country, 全国 (quánguó) means the “entire country.” It's the most common way to express the idea of “the whole…” and is often followed by the adverb 都 (dōu) to emphasize that everyone or everything in that group is included in the action.

全 (quán): The character is a combination of 人 (rén) on top and 王 (wáng) on the bottom. While 王 means “king,” its ancient form was identical to 玉 (yù), meaning “jade.” An early form of the character depicted a lid over a piece of jade, symbolizing that the jade was kept safe, whole, and complete. Therefore, the character conveys the idea of completeness and integrity.

The concept of 'wholeness' or 'completeness' (完整 - wánzhěng) that 全 embodies is subtly important in Chinese culture, which often emphasizes unity and collectivism. The ideal of a 全家 (quánjiā) or “whole family” being together, especially during holidays like Chinese New Year, is a cornerstone of cultural life. This contrasts with more individualistic Western perspectives where family units might be more fragmented.

While the Western concept of “all” can be abstract (“all is lost”), 全 is typically more concrete. It defines the boundaries of a specific, countable group or entity—the whole team, the whole company, the whole day. It's less about a philosophical “everything” and more about the practical “all of this specific thing.” This reflects a pragmatic approach to defining groups and scopes.

都 (dōu) - The essential adverb meaning “all” or “both,” which almost always follows a group defined by 全.

全部 (quánbù) - A noun/adverb for “all,” “the entire part.” It's more concrete than 全 and can often stand alone to mean “all of it.”

所有 (suǒyǒu) - An adjective meaning “all” or “all of the,” used like `所有的人` (suǒyǒu de rén - all of the people).

整个 (zhěnggè) - An adjective meaning “the whole,” “the entire.” Best used for emphasizing a single, complete unit (e.g., the whole apple, the whole story).

完全 (wánquán) - An adverb meaning “completely” or “entirely.” It describes the degree of an action or state, not the scope of a noun.

安全 (ānquán) - The noun/adjective for “safety” or “safe.” A vital compound word built from 全.

全面 (quánmiàn) - An adjective meaning “comprehensive” or “all-around.” (e.g., a comprehensive plan).

全体 (quántǐ) - A noun meaning “all members” of a body or organization, often used in formal settings.