Language/Mandarin-chinese/Vocabulary/弓-gōng

弓 (gōng)

Today, we will learn the Chinese character 弓 (gōng).

It means:

• a bow (weapon)
• to bend
• to arch (one's back etc)

It is one of the 214 Chinese radicals.

You can see it in words like 弟弟 dìdi (younger brotheror) or 引 yǐn (to pull, draw out, attract).

Radical

Additional strokes	Character	Example
without additional strokes	弓	弓 (gōng) bow
1 additional stroke	弔 引 弖	弔 (diào) to condole with 引 (yǐn) to draw (not to paint)
2 additional strokes	弗 弘	弗 (fú) (literary) not 弘 (hóng) great
3 additional strokes	弙 弚 弛 弜
4 additional strokes	弝 弞 弟 张	弟 (dì) younger brother 张 (zhāng) simplified form of 張: to draw (a bow); to open (arms); classifier for pieces of paper
5 additional strokes	弡 弢 弣 弤 弥 弦 弨 弩 弪	弦 (xián) bowstring; string of a musical instrument 弩 (nú) crossbow
6 additional strokes	弧 弫 弬 弭 弮 弯	弧 (hú) arch 弯 (wān) simplified form of 彎: to bend; curve
7 additional strokes	弰 弱 弲 弳	弱 (ruò) weak
8 additional strokes	弴 張 弶 強 弸 弹	張 (zhāng) traditional form of 张: to draw (a bow); to open (arms); classifier for pieces of paper 弹 (dàn) traditional form of 彈: pellet; bullet; bomb | 弹 (tán) to pluck (a string); to flick; to play (a string instrument)
9 additional strokes	强 弻 弼 弽 弾	强 (qiáng) strong 弾 (dàn), (tán): variant of 彈/弹, currently used in Japanese
10 additional strokes	弿 彀 彁 彂
11 additional strokes	彃 彄 彅
12 additional strokes	彆 彇 彈 彉	彈 (tán) to pluck (a string); to flick; to play (a string instrument)
13 additional strokes	彊 彋
14 additional strokes	彌
15 additional strokes	彍
19 additional strokes	彎	彎 (wān) traditional form of 弯: to bend; curve
20 additional strokes	彏

Words

彈弓/弹弓

dàngōng

• catapult, sling

弓弦

gōng xián

• bowstring

弓腰

gōng yāo

• to bow
• to bend at the waist