弱 (ruò) is a Chinese character meaning “weak”. It is written from 𢎗 (half of 弱: a bow shape (弓) with two short ticks inside) and 𢎗 (half of 弱: a bow shape (弓) with two short ticks inside), side by side, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “weak”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
𢎗 + 𢎗
Left–right structure
- 𢎗 half of 弱: a bow shape (弓) with two short ticks inside unknown
- 𢎗 half of 弱: a bow shape (弓) with two short ticks inside unknown
Structure from: IDS 现代字形拆分（⿰𢎗𢎗），经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（左 0–4，右 5–9）
Memory aid
The same half (𢎗) twice: a bent bow with two little ticks inside, side by side. Two bows so floppy they sag — that is weak. This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 弱点ruò diǎnweakness; weak point弱 = ruò
- 脆弱cuì ruòfragile; weak弱 = ruò
Go deeper
All readings
weak
weak; feeble; young; inferior; slightly less than
力气小、势力差；不强。也指年纪小，或比某数略少。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 弱点ruò diǎnweakness; weak point弱 = ruò
- 脆弱cuì ruòfragile; weak弱 = ruò
Easy to confuse with
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 弱 mean?
弱 (ruò) means weak; feeble; young; inferior; slightly less than.
How do you pronounce 弱?
It is pronounced ruò.
What parts is 弱 made of?
𢎗 (half of 弱: a bow shape (弓) with two short ticks inside) and 𢎗 (half of 弱: a bow shape (弓) with two short ticks inside), side by side. The recorded source is: IDS 现代字形拆分（⿰𢎗𢎗），经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（左 0–4，右 5–9）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 弱 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 弱?
弓. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 弱?
Common ones are 弱点 and 脆弱. The reading of 弱 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.