躬

躳
gōng
弓 + 身

Definitions

gōng (pronoun) oneself; personally
gōng (verb) to bow

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 身 represents the meaning and 弓 represents the sound.

About

The character 躬 combines the body radical 身 on the left, indicating its semantic connection to the physical human form, with the bow component 弓 on the right, which provides both phonetic guidance and visual imagery. Its original meaning refers to the body or the self, emphasizing personal action. Since 弓 depicts a curved bow, the character also conveys the act of bending the body forward in a formal bow. These dual meanings, one’s own physical presence and the respectful gesture of bowing, remain active in formal vocabulary.

Example Sentences Hide

他鞠躬表示敬意。

Tā jūgōng biǎoshì jìngyì.

He bowed to show respect.

服务员向客人鞠躬。

Fúwùyuán xiàng kèrén jūgōng.

The waiter bowed to the guests.

他躬身捡起地上的书。

Tā gōngshēn jiǎn qǐ dìshàng de shū.

He bent down to pick up the book on the ground.

领导躬身听取群众意见。

Lǐngdǎo gōngshēn tīngqǔ qúnzhòng yìjiàn.

The leader personally listened to the masses' opinions.

她亲自躬身实践这个计划。

Tā qīnzì gōngshēn shíjiàn zhège jìhuà.

She personally practiced this plan.

在会议上，他躬身道歉，态度诚恳。

Zài huìyì shàng, tā gōngshēn dàoqiàn, tàidù chéngkěn.

At the meeting, he bowed to apologize, with a sincere attitude.

为了了解实际情况，他躬身深入基层调研。

Wèile liǎojiě shíjì qíngkuàng, tā gōngshēn shēnrù jīcéng diàoyán.

In order to understand the actual situation, he personally went deep into the grassroots for investigation.

只有躬身参与其中，才能体会其中的艰辛与快乐。

Zhǐyǒu gōngshēn cānyù qízhōng, cáinéng tǐhuì qízhōng de jiānxīn yǔ kuàilè.

Only by personally participating in it can one experience the hardships and joys within.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

窮 匑

Component: 弓

强 张 引 弹 弱 弗 弯 弥 疆 弓 弦 夷 弘 粥

Component: 身

身 射 躺 躲 躯 軃 軆 躱 躶 軀 躭 䠶 䠷 躰

Example Words

鞠躬 鞠躬尽瘁 事必躬亲 卑躬屈膝 躬行 躬身