Definition
勾 (gōu) has three senses: (1) to tick/check off — 点 (diǎn) means 'dot' while 勾 implies a checkmark (✓); (2) to attract/arouse — softer than 吸引 (xī yǐn) and less negative than 惹 (rě); (3) to outline/delineate — 勾勒 (gōu lè) is the formal compound for this.
verb
to tickto check offto attractto arouse (interest, curiosity)to outlineto delineate
Easily confused
- 句jùlook-alike(classifier) for sentences, lines of verse, or short phrases
- 够gòusound-alike(adverb) enough, sufficiently (before adjectives; also colloquially 'really')
- 勿wùlook-alikedo not (formal, literary, used in signs and written prohibitions)
- 狗gǒusound-alikedog
- 沟gōulook-alikeditch, gutter (man-made drainage channel)
- 钩gōusound-alike(noun) hook; catch; clasp
- 旬xúnlook-alike(classifier) ten-day period (one of three divisions of a month)
Examples
- 勾。Qǐng zài zhèngquè de dá'àn shàng gōu yíxià.Please tick the correct answer.
- 勾。Zhè bù diànyǐng gōu qǐ le lìshǐ de gòngmíng.This film arouses historical resonance.
- 勾。Huàjiā xiān yòng qiānbǐ gōu chū lúnkuò.The painter first outlines the contour with a pencil.
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