躬 (gōng) is a Chinese character meaning “body”. It is written from 身 (body) and 弓 (bow), side by side, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “to bow”
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Structure
身 + 弓
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字·吕部：躳，身也。从身从吕。躬，躳或从弓
Memory aid
A body (身) bent like a bow (弓) — that is how you bow to someone. Both parts are really in 躬; 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
- 鞠躬jū gōngto bow躬 = gōng
- 躬身gōng shēnto bend forward; to bow躬 = gōng
Go deeper
All readings
to bow; oneself
body; oneself, in person; to bend forward, to bow
身体；亲自；弯下身体。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 鞠躬jū gōngto bow躬 = gōng
- 躬身gōng shēnto bend forward; to bow躬 = gōng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 躬 mean?
躬 (gōng) means body; oneself, in person; to bend forward, to bow.
How do you pronounce 躬?
It is pronounced gōng.
What parts is 躬 made of?
身 (body) and 弓 (bow), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字·吕部：躳，身也。从身从吕。躬，躳或从弓. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 躬 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 躬?
身. 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 躬?
Common ones are 鞠躬 and 躬身. The reading of 躬 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.