p8nda
p8nda BETA
Home Dictionary Translate Flashcards Sign in

弱

ruò
adjective HSK 4 #4,012

Meanings

  1. 1 weak; feeble
  2. 2 inferior
  3. 3 young

Examples

他身体很弱。
Tā shēntǐ hěn ruò.
His body is very weak.
弱者需要帮助。
Ruòzhě xūyào bāngzhù.
The weak need help.
信号太弱了。
Xìnhào tài ruò le.
The signal is too weak.

Tips

usage
弱 is the opposite of 强 (strong). Common compounds: 虚弱 (feeble), 弱点 (weakness), 弱势 (disadvantaged position).

Components

radical
弓 gōng
bow (weapon)
Left bow — also 弱's indexing radical (Kangxi #57). 弱 is a reduplication: two bows side by side, each draped with downward strokes (冫-shape) representing limp, slackened bowstrings. The picture is two unstrung bows hanging weak — the literal source of 'weak, feeble.' Same indexing radical in 弓, 强, 弯, 张.
ideograph
冫 bīng
two-stroke ornament; here slack-string mark
Two short downward strokes hanging off the left bow — graphically the same as the ice radical 冫, but here functioning as a positional indicator: limp tassels or slack strings drooping from the bow. No 'cold' meaning; pure visual mark of weakness.
semantic
弓 gōng
bow (weapon)
Right bow — paired with the one on the left. Reduplication of the same component is the classical visual shorthand for intensification (compare 林=two trees, 朋=two moons). Two unstrung bows = doubly weak.
ideograph
冫 bīng
two-stroke ornament; slack-string mark
Two short strokes hanging off the right bow, mirroring the pair on the left. Together with the matching set on the left bow they complete the picture of two slackened, drooping bow-strings — the ideographic core of 'weak.'

Stroke Order

弱 ruò