The Chinese Radical: 弓


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Meaning
bow    弓

Explanation

Used in these characters:
JLPT HSK 2
prefix for making an order/ranking (first, second, etc)

Top: bamboo , bottom: bow and feathered arrow λ (Variation of younger brother )
With a bamboo (stick) I show my younger brother the correct order. (= his rank)  
JLPT HSK 2
younger brother, I (modest word in letter)

From top: to come out , bow , and an arrow λ
A feathered arrow comes from the bow of my younger brother.  
JLPT HSK 3
stretch, expand, classifier for flat objects(=sheets)
zhāng
Left: bow , right: long 长/ (Long mane in the wind of a galloping horse)
The bow is long and stretched and can lie flat.  
JLPT HSK 4
to pull, to draw (e.g. a bow), to stretch sth
yǐn
Bow with a string
The string of the bow is pulled.  
JLPT HSK 4
bullet, shot, pluck (a string instrument), pellet, elastic
dàn, tán
Left: bow , right: sole, single (It shines the sun in a group of ten [with nine planets including Pluto] as the single one.)
The bow "singles" [=making it single] the bullet at the shot.  
JLPT HSK 5
Buddha, Buddhism
fó, fú
Left: person , right: deny, negation (A bow with two strings || is to be denied.)
A person of denial (of needs) is the (godlike) buddha.  
JLPT HSK 5
bend, to stoop, crooked
wān
Top: also, namely (To see this variation as red , you can also do.) [red : When earth (clay) is burned , the pottery becomes red ], below: bow
(Your head) becomes reddish, when you are like a bow, during: stooping.  
JLPT HSK 5
to rise (prices, rivers), to swell, distend
zhǎng, zhàng
Left: water , right: stretch 张 (The bow is long 长/ and stretched.)
Wenn the water 'stretches' it rises.  
JLPT HSK 5
weak, feeble, young, inferior
ruò
Twice a bow with ice
Bows with ice on them are too weak.  
JLPT HSK 5
strong, stubborn, vigorous
qiáng
Left: bow , right : although 虽 (In the mouth an insect ? Okay, although, ..)
If it can draw a bow with the mouth, this insect must be strong and stubborn.  
JLPT HSK 6
to fill, overflowing, brimming, completely

Left: bow , right: thus/therefore (A lying person appears small , that therefore thus.) [lying person as variant of: ]
Take your bow, lie down to become small and (due to hunting success your stomach) will fill.  
JLPT HSK 6
border, boundary
jiāng
Left: bow and earth , right: (Three 三 border lines between fields )
With a bow I guard the earth at the border lines: of the border.  
JLPT HSK 6
bay, gulf, to cast anchor
wān
Left: water , right: to bend 弯 ([The head] becomes reddish /, when you are like a bow when stooping.
Water is reddish in that 'bow', which is: a bay.  
JLPT HSK 6
chord, string (of bow / musical instrument), hypotenuse
xián
Left: bow , right: mysterious (part of magnet: 磁, where an upper bracket holds threads with hanging stones that are mysterious)
(As it withstood high forces, the bowstring was high-tech) The bow has a mysterious string.  
JLPT HSK 6
oneself, personally, to bow
gōng
Left: body (side view of a body), right: bow
A body that bows, shows: himself, his personality.  
JLPT HSK 6
congee, gruel, porridge
zhōu
Outside: each bows , inside: rice
Use "bowed" (= mashed) rice, to make congee (= rice porridge)  
JLPT no HSK
a bow (weapon)
gōng

Pictograph: bow without string.  
JLPT no HSK
not, negation, denial


A bow with two strings || is to be denied.  
JLPT no HSK
arc

Left: bow , right: melon (Image of a melon hanging from a frame.)
The bow and melon have the form of an arc.  
JLPT no HSK
to drown, to indulge, addicted to, to spoil (a child)
nì, niào
Left: water , right: weak 弱 (Two bows with ice are too weak.)
If you are in the water and get weak, you will drown.  
JLPT no HSK
loosen, unstring a bow, slacken, relax
chí
Left: bow , right: also/too (shows a bent twisting like: snake, scorpion)
The bow (= its string) becomes a 'bent creature', when it is loosened.  
JLPT no HSK
cross-bow

Top: slave (Women's hands work like slaves), bottom: bow
It serves like a slave. This bow is the cross-bow.  
JLPT no HSK
domed roof, dome, vaulted
qióng
Top: hole, cavity (It is covered and a narrowing path leads into the cave), below: bow
With a cavity that is arched (like a bow): a domed/vaulted roof.  
JLPT no HSK
enrich, enlarge, liberal, great
hóng
Left: bow , right: nose
A bent nose has sb., with plans for enriching and enlarging.  
JLPT no HSK
barbarians, non-Han people, to wipe out

Combination of big and bow
(Think of the Mongols:) They have big bows: The barbarians.  
JLPT no HSK
assist

Left and rights: bows , middle: hundred (Tilt your head to the right and read '100'.)
Bows in the hundreds are assisting us.  

Radicals are shown here that are similar either in appearance or meaning.

At the page you get the memory phrases for learning the Chinese Hanzi. If you are learning the Japanese kanji, please follow this link.



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