Definition
屈 (qū) as a verb centers on the idea of 'bending' — literally in 屈膝 ('bend the knee'), or figuratively in 屈服 ('yield'), 屈就 ('condescend to take a post'), and 冤屈 ('to wrong someone'). It often appears in fixed two-character combinations; the standalone verb is less common in everyday speech but occurs in formal expressions like 宁死不屈 ('would rather die than submit'). Note that 屈 is not the usual word for bending an object (use 弯 wān instead).
v.
to bend (literally, e.g., 屈膝 kneel)to wrongto treat unjustly (e.g., 委屈 feel wronged)to yieldto submitalso to subdue (e.g., 屈服 yield)
Examples
- 。Tā nìng sǐ yě bù qū fú.He would rather die than yield.
- 。Nǐ kě bié wěiqū le tā de hǎoyì.Don't wrong his kind intentions.
- 。Lǎorén zài ménkǒu qū xī xíng le gè lǐ.The old man bent his knee to bow at the door.
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