弓
contributes the sense of a bow — archery · Kangxi radical 57
contributes the sense of a bow — archery, and by extension bending, curving and stretching
弓 is a picture of an archer's bow standing on end, seen from the side: the drawn shaft curves out and back, with the string once drawn in as well. The modern three strokes keep that outline — the top and bottom horizontals are the two ends of the bow, and the hooked stroke down the right is the curve of its body. In characters it either names bow parts and bow actions, as in 弦 (bowstring), 弛 (unstring a bow) and 彀 (draw a bow fully), or simply lends the idea of a curve, as in 弯 (to bend).
弓 at a glance
- Meaning
- contributes the sense of a bow — archery
- Strokes
- 3
- Characters
- 36
- Role
- Contributes meaning
- Kangxi radical
- 57
Characters with 弓 (25 of 36)
HSK 4 · 1
HSK 5 · 2
HSK 6 · 4
Beyond HSK · 16
Frequently asked questions
What does the component 弓 mean?
弓 means "contributes the sense of a bow — archery". In the characters that contain it, it contributes meaning.
How many Chinese characters contain 弓?
36 characters in this dictionary contain 弓, including ones at HSK 2, HSK 4, HSK 5, HSK 6.
Is 弓 a radical?
Yes — 弓 is Kangxi radical 57, one of the 214 traditional indexing radicals used to organise Chinese dictionaries.
How many strokes does 弓 have?
弓 is written in 3 strokes.