躬身

gōngshēn
verb #58,666

Meanings

  1. 1 to bow
  2. 2 to bend forward at the waist

Examples

HSK 7-9
Tā gōngshēn xiàng kèren zhìxiè.
He bowed and thanked the guests.
HSK 7-9
Lǎorén gōngshēn jiǎnqǐ yí piàn luòyè, kàn le hěn jiǔ.
The old man bent down, picked up a fallen leaf and looked at it for a long time.

Tips

usage
Literary and descriptive, common in historical dramas and in writing about ceremony. Everyday speech says 鞠躬 'to bow'. In modern commentary 躬身入局 'to bend down and step into the game' means to get personally involved instead of criticising from the sidelines.

Stroke Order

躬 gōng
身 shēn