弓 (gōng): bow (weapon for shooting arrows)

Measure Word

一把弓 bǎ

Meanings

1 bow (weapon for shooting arrows)
2 anything bow-shaped; an arc

Characters

弓

gōng

bow (weapon); curved

Examples

他拉开了弓，瞄准了目标。

Tā lākāi le gōng, miáozhǔn le mùbiāo.

He drew the bow and aimed at the target.

古代战士都要学习弓箭。

Gǔdài zhànshì dōu yào xuéxí gōngjiàn.

Ancient warriors all had to learn archery.

Tips

culture

弓 is also a radical (弓字旁) in many characters related to bending, tension, or elasticity: 张 (to stretch), 弦 (string), 强 (strong), 弹 (to bounce/bullet). Recognizing it helps decode dozens of characters.

history

The Chinese composite bow was a feared weapon for millennia. Mounted archery from horseback was a core military skill, and the phrase 弓马娴熟 (skilled with bow and horse) meant an accomplished warrior.

Components

pictograph

弓 gōng

bow (weapon)

A direct picture of an unstrung archery bow seen from the side, with the curved limbs and a hint of the grip. Oracle-bone forms show the bowstring; later script dropped it for a cleaner three-stroke silhouette. 弓 is itself the Kangxi radical for bow-related characters (引, 张, 弱, 强).

Radical

Bow Kangxi #57

Pictograph of an unstrung wooden bow. As a radical it marks characters connected to bending, tension, and elasticity — 张 (stretch), 弦 (bowstring), 强 (strong), 弹 (bounce/bullet), 弟 (younger brother, originally cord wound on a stake). A productive and visually clear group.