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March 24, 2026
屈Qū(Qu1)
The character 屈 (qū) primarily means 'to bend' or 'to flex', often used in contexts involving physical curvature or emotional states. It can imply feelings of wronged or injustice, reflecting both a physical and metaphorical sense of being 'bent' or 'twisted' in a way that is not right.
Strokes8Radical尸Frequency#9787DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese literature, the concept of feeling wronged is often depicted in poetry and stories, where characters might experience 屈辱 (qūrǔ - humiliation) due to bending to societal pressures or injustices.
Memory Tip
Imagine a person named Qu (surname) bending down to pick something up, feeling wronged that they have to crouch. The shape of the character 屈 resembles a person bending over, which helps connect the pronunciation 'qū' to the action of bending.
Meanings of 屈
Qū(Qu1)
1bent
2to feel wronged
Exercise 1 of 3
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 屈
屈Simplified
8Strokes
尸Radical
人名míngcíproper noun (pr.n.)Part of Speech
#9787Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7
Podcast: 屈
Podcast: 屈
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AI Study Notes for 屈
Quick Contrast
屈 (qū) vs 弯 (wān) — use 屈 for emotional or metaphorical bending, while 弯 refers specifically to physical curvature.
Usage Notes
Common mistakes include confusing 屈 with its similar-sounding word 曲 (qū), which means 'curve' or 'tune'. Use 屈 in both formal and informal contexts, particularly when discussing feelings of injustice or physical bending. Remember to use the third tone appropriately when pronouncing it.
HSK Study Tips
Although 屈 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it is related to other words describing physical actions and emotions, such as 直 (zhí - straight) and 曲 (qū - curve). Focus on understanding the dual meanings of the character, both physical and emotional.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 屈 with 曲 (qū), leading to incorrect usage in contexts about bending or feeling wronged. For example, saying '我觉得很曲' (wǒ juédé hěn qǔ) instead of '我觉得很屈' (wǒ juédé hěn qū) when expressing feeling wronged.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 屈
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Phonosemantic compound. 尸 represents the meaning and 出 represents the sound.
1The meaning half尸 carries the sense.
2The sound half出 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawaycorpse
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 屈? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 屈?
Decomposition of 屈
IDS Structure⿸尸出
屈Full Character
=
尸shi1
enclosing
出chu1
inner
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 屈?
How to say surname Qu in Chinese
“surname Qu” in Chinese is屈Qū
The character 屈 (qū) primarily means 'to bend' or 'to flex', often used in contexts involving physical curvature or emotional states. It can imply feelings of wronged or injustice, reflecting both a physical and metaphorical sense of being 'bent' or 'twisted' in a way that is not right.
When to use 屈
Common mistakes include confusing 屈 with its similar-sounding word 曲 (qū), which means 'curve' or 'tune'. Use 屈 in both formal and informal contexts, particularly when discussing feelings of injustice or physical bending. Remember to use the third tone appropriately when pronouncing it.
屈 or something close to it
屈 (qū) vs 弯 (wān) — use 屈 for emotional or metaphorical bending, while 弯 refers specifically to physical curvature.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 屈 with 曲 (qū), leading to incorrect usage in contexts about bending or feeling wronged. For example, saying '我觉得很曲' (wǒ juédé hěn qǔ) instead of '我觉得很屈' (wǒ juédé hěn qū) when expressing feeling wronged.
Write 屈
屈
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Grammar Patterns of 屈
屈 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 4 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
