bow

Origin & mnemonic

This radical is an ideograph depicting a bow (weapon). Its curved shape reflects the structure of an archery bow as seen in ancient seal script and oracle-bone script.

Mnemonic: Three flowing strokes curve together to form a bow's shape: two arcs on the sides with a taut string in the middle.

• 引yǐn🔊

  to draw (e.g. a bow)

  HSK 4

  4 strokes

• 弗fú🔊

  (literary) not

  5 strokes

• 弘hóng🔊

  great

  5 strokes

• 弛chí🔊

  to unstring a bow

  6 strokes

• 𭚦guō🔊

  (literary) to draw one's bow to the full

  6 strokes