换/換 huàn — to exchange, to swap, to trade; to change, to replace; to change (money, clothes, trains)

Pinyin

• huàn (fourth tone, falling)

to exchange, to swap, to trade; to change, to replace; to change (money, clothes, trains)

Character breakdown

• 扌meaning partno entry yetThe hand radical: an exchange is made hand to hand.
• 奂sound partno entry yet奂 huàn for the sound.

Mnemonic

A hand 扌 with 奂 for the sound: something passing from one hand to another. It is the verb for any swap — 换钱 to change money, 换车 to change buses or trains, 换衣服 to get changed, 换一个 to have a different one. Distinguish 改, which is to alter a thing itself rather than swap it for another.

A memory aid written by HSK Guide editors. It is not an etymology and does not describe the historical origin of the character.

Words containing 换

• 换/換huàn (fourth tone, falling)to change, to exchange, to swap

Radical 手 — other characters

• 手shǒu (third tone, dipping)hand; a person good at something (歌手 a singer, 选手 a contestant)
• 找zhǎo (third tone, dipping)to look for, to seek; to call on somebody; to give change
• 拿ná (second tone, rising)to take, to hold, to pick up; to seize, to capture; with, using (as a preposition)