Basic shapes: Shapes

💬 形 is the shape or form part, so you can spot it in many shape words: 圓形 (round), 三角形 (triangle), 球形 (spherical). 狀 adds the idea of condition or appearance, so 形狀 means a thing's overall shape.

💬 Many basic shape words are built as "description + 形": 圓形 round, 方形 square-shaped, 三角形 triangular. Once you know that pattern, new shape words are easier to guess.

💬 正方形 is specifically a square, while 方形 can mean a square-like or rectangular shape more generally in some contexts. The 正 adds the idea of "regular" here: all sides equal.

💬 三角形 literally works as 三 + 角 + 形: three-corner shape. You'll see the same build in other words too, like 五角形 for a five-sided shape.

💬 長方形 is the usual word for a rectangle. Even though 長 often means "long," here it just helps distinguish a rectangle from 正方形, a square.

💬 球形 means spherical or ball-shaped, built from 球 "ball" plus 形 "shape." You can reuse this pattern with object words too, like 心形 for heart-shaped.

💬 立方體 is the 3D solid "cube," while 2D shape words often end in 形, like 正方形. A useful pattern is that 體 often points to a solid body or 3D form.