弓 (gōng) — (noun) bow (weapon); (verb) to bend, to arch (one's back, waist, etc.)
Definition
弓 (gōng) is most often the noun 'bow' (weapon, made of wood or bamboo, measured with 张). As a verb it means to bend or arch the body — similar to 拱, but 弓 is the curved shape itself while 拱 emphasizes the active motion of arching forward.
noun
bow (weapon)
verb
to bendto arch (one's back, waist, etc.)
Measure word · 张
Examples
- 弓。Tā xiǎo shí hou xǐ huan yòng zhú tiáo zuò gōng.He liked to make bows with bamboo strips when he was a child.
- 弓。Lǎo rén gōng zhe bèi màn màn zǒu guò qiáo.The old man walked slowly across the bridge with his back arched.
- 弓。Zhè zhāng gōng shì yòng mù tou hé niú jīn zuò de.This bow is made of wood and cow sinew.
Origin
Pictograph六书liùshū
象形xiàngxíngA drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.
The shape of 弓 is a picture of a bow.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.