| Meaning |
bow 弓
|
| Explanation |
Pictograph: bow without string.
|
Used in these characters:
|
|
引
|
 |
|
JLPT 4Joyo 2 |
|
| pull, draw
hiku, IN
弓
 |
|
A bow 弓 with its string 丨
The bow's string is pulled.
|
|
|
|
強
|
|
|
JLPT 4Joyo 2 |
|
| strong
tsuyoi, shiiru, KYŌ, GŌ
弓
ム
虫
|
|
Left: bow 弓, right: nose ム and insect 虫 (body 口 and sting ム of an insect)
To target with the bow the nose of an insect: That is strong!
|
|
|
|
弱
|
|
|
JLPT 4Joyo 2 |
|
| weak
yowai, JAKU
弓
冫
|
|
Twice a bow 弓 with ice 冫
Two iced bows are too weak.
|
|
|
|
弟
|
|
|
JLPT 4Joyo 2 |
|
| younger brother
otōto, TEI, DAI, DE
弓
丷
|
|
From top: to come out 丷, bow 弓, and a feathered arrow λ
The feathered arrow comes from the bow of my younger brother.
|
|
|
|
第
|
|
|
JLPT 3Joyo 3 |
|
| grade, position, rank, order
|
Top: bamboo 竹, bottom: variation of younger brother 弟 (bow 弓 and feathered arrow λ)
With a bamboo (cane) I teach my younger brother his position (rank).
|
|
|
|
費
|
|
|
JLPT 3Joyo 4 |
|
| expense, spend, consume, cost
tsuiyasu, HI
弓
貝
|
|
Top: dollar 弗 (but here: flow heater with boiler coil 弓 and pipes || streaming through) (cf. to boil 沸), bottom: money 貝
A flow heater costs money and thus is: an expense.
|
|
|
|
張
|
|
|
JLPT 2Joyo 5 |
|
| stretch, spread
haru, CHŌ
弓
長
|
|
Left: bow 弓, right: long 長 (mane and clothes 衣)
A bow is long and can be stretched.
|
|
|
|
弓
|
|
|
JLPT 3Joyo 2 |
|
| bow, archery
yumi, KYŪ
弓
|
|
Pictograph of bow without string
|
|
|
|
窮
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
|
| distress, deadlock, suffer, destitute
kiwamaru/meru, KYŪ
穴
身
弓
|
|
Top: hole, cavity 穴 (It is covered 宀 and a narrowing path 八 leads into the cave.), below: body 身 and bow 弓
In this hole is a body that is bent like a bow: Somebody is in distress!
|
|
|
|
弦
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
|
| string (of bow)
tsuru, GEN
弓
玄
|
|
Left: bow 弓, right: mysterious 玄 (part of magnet: 磁, where a upper bracket 艹 holds hanging 玄 stones 石 that behave mysteriously)
The bow has a mysterious string.
|
|
|
|
弧
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
|
| arc
|
Left: bow 弓, right: melon 瓜 (image of a melon hanging in a frame)
Both a bow and melon have the shape of an arc.
|
|
|
|
弾
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
|
| play (an instrument), bullet, shot, spring, play
hiku, hazumu, tama, DAN
弓
単
|
|
Left: bow 弓, right: single, merely 単 (It shines  the sun 日 in the group of ten 十 [= with 9 planets] as the mere single.)
The bow is unique to play an instrument or to make a shot.
|
|
|
|
弔
|
|
|
JLPT 1Joyo 7 |
|
| mourning, condolences, funeral
tomurau, CHŌ
弓
丨
|
|
Shows a bow 弓, but here understood as image of a snake 弓 winding around a person 丨
The person who was strangled by a snake is mourned.
|
|
|
|
沸
|
|
|
JLPT 2Joyo 7 |
|
| boil, grow hot, gush
waku/kasu, FUTSU
氵
弓
|
|
Left: water 氵, right: dollar 弗 (but here: flow heater with boiler coil 弓 and pipes || streamed through)
The water in the flow heater is boiling.
|
|
|
|
湾
|
|
|
JLPT 2Joyo 7 |
|
| bay, gulf
|
Left: water 氵, right: var. of red 赤 (When earth/clay 土 is burned in fire 灬, the pottery turns: red.), and bow 弓
The water is reddish in the bow-shaped bay.
|
|
|
|
溺
|
|
|
JLPT -Joyo 7 |
|
| drown, indulge
oboreru, DEKI
氵
弓
|
|
Left: water 氵, right: weak 弱 (= Iced 冫bows 弓 are weak.)
If you are in the water and feel weak, you will: drown.
|
|
|
|
弥
|
|
|
JLPT -Joyo 7 |
|
| increasingly, more and more
ya, MI
弓
小
|
|
Left: bow 弓, right: 尔 (lying person  and small 小, together: small person)
Bows are also used by small persons, and they become more and more.
|
|
|
| Radicals are shown here that are similar either in appearance or meaning. |  |
|
At this page you get the memory phrases for learning the Japanese Kanji. If you are learning the Chinese Hanzi, please follow this link. |
List of the characters |
List of the radicals
|
