弓 - gōng - Chinese character definition, English meaning and stroke order

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3 strokes
Simplified (switch to Traditional)

弓

gōng

Definition

bow (weapon)
to bend
meaning component (bow-shaped things, bent elements, drawing actions, strength)
radical (Kang Xi 57)
to arch (one's back etc)

Character Decomposition

Compounds (41)

张

zhāng

classifier (for flat objects, votes); measure word; sheet (of paper); to open up; to spread

第

dì

prefix (used before numerals to form ordinal numbers, e.g. first, number two...); order; rank

强

qiáng

strong; powerful; better; slightly more than; vigorous; violent; best in their category, e.g. see 百强

强

qiǎng

to force; to compel; to strive; to make an effort

引

yǐn

to attract; to lead; to guide; to draw (e.g. a bow); to pull; to stretch (something); to extend; to lengthen; to involve; to implicate (in); to leave; to provide evidence or justification for; old unit of distance (equal to 10 丈, one-thirtieth of a km or 33.33 meters)

弱

ruò

weak; feeble; young; inferior; (following a decimal or fraction) slightly less than

弹

tán

to pluck (a string); to play (a string instrument); to spring or leap; to shoot (e.g. with a catapult); (of cotton) to fluff or tease; to flick; to flip; to accuse; to impeach; elastic (of materials)

粥

zhōu

congee; gruel; porridge

弯

wān

to bend; bent; a bend; a turn (in the road etc)

弟

dì

(younger) brother; little brother; younger (male cousin); junior (male); I (modest word in letter)

弦

xián

bow string; string of musical instrument; watchspring; chord (segment of curve); hypotenuse

great; liberal

not

crossball; bullet; shot; shell; ball

夷

yí

non-Han people, esp. to the East of China; barbarians; to wipe out; to exterminate; to tear down; to raze

弥

mí

full; to fill; completely; more; brimming or overflowing

弥

mí

full; to fill; completely; more

弥

mí

brimming or overflowing

border; boundary

crossbow

arc

body; oneself; personally; to bow

弛

chí

to unstring a bow; to slacken; to relax; to loosen

to assist

vault; dome; the sky

to stop; repress

bow case; to cover

see 川芎

radian (math.); now written 弧度

snare; to snare

crossbow (arch.)

nock at end of bow; stretch

ends of a bow

stubborn; unyielding

unbent bow

the part of a bow grasped when shooting

handle of bow

carved bow

(of a bow) impactful; powerful

full; stretch

see 荤粥

Related words (26)

bowstring

bow and crossbow

circular segment

bowed; curved like a bow

bow and arrow

to hunch over; to stoop; to arch one's back (upward)

弓腰

gōng yāo

to bow; to bend at the waist

bound feet

to bend the body at the waist; to bow

bowstring

crossbow shooter

archer

bow-and-arrow step (dance step)

crossbow

catapult; slingshot

bow made from the 柘 tree

腱弓

jiàn gōng

tendon arch (anatomy)

角弓

jiǎo gōng

bow decorated with animal horns

arch (of a foot)

cheek bone; zygomatic arch (anatomy)

鳃弓

sāi gōng

visceral arch (gill-bearing arch or its vestigial crease on sides of neck of vertebrates)

受电弓

shòu diàn gōng

pantograph (transportation)

复合弓

fù hé gōng

composite bow (archery)

集电弓

jí diàn gōng

pantograph (transportation)

high-arched feet

opitoshtonous (med.), muscular spasm of the body associated with tetanus and meningitis

Idioms (8)

伤弓之鸟

shāng gōng zhī niǎo

(lit.) bird wounded by an arrow (idiom); fig. wounded or damaged person

左右开弓

zuǒ yòu kāi gōng

(lit.) to shoot from both sides (idiom); (fig.) to display ambidexterity; to slap with one hand and then the other, in quick succession; to use both feet equally (football)

惊弓之鸟

jīng gōng zhī niǎo

(lit.) a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow (idiom); (fig.) sb who frightens easily, due to past experiences

杯弓蛇影

bēi gōng shé yǐng

(lit.) to see a bow reflected in a cup as a snake (idiom); fig. unnecessary suspicions; overly fearful

鸟尽弓藏

niǎo jìn gōng cáng

(lit.) the birds are over, the bow is put away (idiom); fig. to get rid of sb once he has served his purpose

开弓不放箭

kāi gōng bù fàng jiàn

(lit.) to draw the bow without shooting the arrow (idiom); (fig.) to bluff; to be all talk and no action; false bravado

霸王硬上弓

bà wáng yìng shàng gōng

to force oneself upon sb (idiom); to rape

开弓没有回头箭

kāi gōng méi yǒu huí tóu jiàn

(lit.) once you've shot the arrow, there's no getting it back (idiom); (fig.) once you started sth, there's no turning back; to have to finish what one started; to be determined to reach one's goals in spite of setbacks

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