弓

Bow Radical (弓)

gōng · 3 strokes

The bow radical (弓) is a radical found in Chinese. It appears in 14 characters related to bow and associated concepts. 14 characters: 1 in HSK 1, 1 in HSK 3, 3 in HSK 4, 2 in HSK 5, 1 in HSK 6, 5 in HSK 7-9, 1 in HSK 7-9. Radical classifications follow the Kangxi radical system. Character data is based on the HSK 3.0 Standard (CLEC 2022 syllabus).

Radical vs. Component: 弓 is also a character component. As a radical, it classifies characters in dictionaries. As a component, it appears as a building block contributing meaning, sound, or structure. For component-specific details including role analysis and position patterns, see the Bow Component (弓) page.

Bow Radical at a Glance

Stroke Count3
Total Characters14
Most Common HSK LevelHSK 7-9 (5 characters)
Avg. Character Strokes7
ClassificationKangxi Radicals

All Bow Radical Characters

HSK 1 (1 characters)

弟dìyounger brother

HSK 3 (1 characters)

张zhāngto open up

HSK 4 (3 characters)

强qiángstubborn引yǐnto draw (e.g. a bow)弹dàncrossball

HSK 5 (2 characters)

弱ruòweak弯wānto bend

HSK 6 (1 characters)

弥mífull

HSK 7-9 (5 characters)

弛chíto unstring a bow弓gōnga bow (weapon)弘hónggreat弧húarc弦xiánbow string

HSK 7-9 (1 characters)

弗fú(literary) not

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the bow radical mean in Chinese characters?
The bow radical (弓) signals a semantic connection to bow-related concepts. When you see 弓 in a character, it typically indicates the character's meaning involves bow or associated ideas. With 14 characters using this radical, it is one of the more productive radicals in Chinese. Radical classifications follow the Kangxi radical system, the traditional standard for organizing Chinese characters.
How many characters use the bow radical?
There are 14 characters with the bow radical (弓) in the HSK 3.0 character set (CLEC 2022 syllabus): 1 in HSK 1, 1 in HSK 3, 3 in HSK 4, 2 in HSK 5, 1 in HSK 6, 5 in HSK 7-9, 1 in HSK 7-9. The distribution across HSK levels reflects how fundamental bow-related concepts are at each stage of Mandarin learning.
What are the most common bow radical characters?
By frequency of use, the most common characters with the bow radical (弓) are: 强 (qiáng, "stubborn"), 张 (zhāng, "to open up"), 引 (yǐn, "to draw (e.g. a bow)"), 弹 (dàn, "crossball"), 弟 (dì, "younger brother"). These high-frequency characters are among the first bow-related characters most learners encounter.
What HSK levels include bow radical characters?
Characters with the bow radical (弓) appear across 7 HSK levels: 1 in HSK 1, 1 in HSK 3, 3 in HSK 4, 2 in HSK 5, 1 in HSK 6, 5 in HSK 7-9, 1 in HSK 7-9. The largest concentration is at HSK 7-9 with 5 characters. Earlier HSK levels introduce the most common bow-related characters, while advanced levels add specialized or literary terms.

Sources & Standards

Radical classifications on this page follow the Kangxi radical system (康熙部首), the standard set of 214 radicals codified in the Kangxi Dictionary (康熙字典, 1716). Character data is based on the HSK 3.0 Standard (《国际中文教育中文水平等级标准》), published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 2022 revision.