Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
曲 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
曲QūbentHSK 6, q, 6 strokes, radical 曰, rank #2511, Hard
曲QūcrookedHSK 6, q, 6 strokes, radical 曰, rank #2511, Hard
曲QūwrongHSK 6, q, 6 strokes, radical 曰, rank #2511, Hard
曲QūtuneHSK 6, q, 6 strokes, radical 曰, rank #2511, Hard
曲QūsongHSK 6, q, 6 strokes, radical 曰, rank #2511, Hard
曲Qūcrooked, bent; wrong, falseHSK 6, q, 6 strokes, radical 曰, rank #2511, Hard
曲Qūsurname QuHSK 6, q, 6 strokes, radical 曰, rank #2511, Hard
曲qǔbentHSK 6, q, 6 strokes, radical 曰, rank #2511, Hard
曲qǔcrookedHSK 6, q, 6 strokes, radical 曰, rank #2511, Hard
曲qǔwrongHSK 6, q, 6 strokes, radical 曰, rank #2511, Hard
曲qǔtuneHSK 6, q, 6 strokes, radical 曰, rank #2511, Hard
曲qǔsongHSK 6, q, 6 strokes, radical 曰, rank #2511, Hard
曲qǔcrooked, bent; wrong, falseHSK 6, q, 6 strokes, radical 曰, rank #2511, Hard
曲qǔsurname QuHSK 6, q, 6 strokes, radical 曰, rank #2511, Hard
qǔ(qu3)
primary
 T3
  1. 1bent
  2. 2crooked
Also a Chinese surname, Qu — see the Surname Dictionary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

曲qǔ(qu3)

The character 曲 (qū) primarily means 'bent' or 'crooked,' and it can also refer to a 'tune' or 'song.' It is commonly used in contexts related to music as well as to describe something that is not straight or is incorrect in some way. The nuance of the word often implies a sense of deviation from the norm, whether in physical form or moral guidance.

Strokes6Radical曰Frequency#2511DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, music plays a significant role, and 曲 is commonly seen in musical terms and genres, such as traditional Chinese opera. The concept of something being 'crooked' or 'bent' can also relate to moral teachings, where a 'crooked' path implies wrongdoing.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'Q' that is bending or curling, like a crooked road. To remember 曲 (qū), think of a 'cue' for a performance, where the 'tune' or 'song' is often not straight but has bends and turns, just like the character’s shape.

Meanings of 曲

qǔ(qu3)
primary
1bent
2crooked
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 曲

曲Simplified
6Strokes
曰Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#2511Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L6AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 曲

JasonAmy

Podcast: 曲

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 曲

Quick Contrast

曲 (qū) vs 歌 (gē) — use 曲 when referring to a tune or song with a focus on its melodic structure, while 歌 specifically refers to a song, particularly in a lyrical context.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 曲 with 直 (zhí), which means 'straight.' In informal contexts, 曲 might be used to describe something that is wrong or misleading, while in formal contexts it refers to music. Pay attention to using the correct tone since 曲 (qū) can sound similar to other characters.

HSK Study Tips

Although 曲 is not in the HSK list, it connects well with other words related to music and expressions of deviation. Focus on how 曲 is used in phrases like 曲子 (qǔzi - tune) and its variations in music-related contexts.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 曲 (qū) with other characters like 曲 (qǔ) meaning 'to play music' or with 直 (zhí) meaning 'straight.' For instance, saying '曲的道路' (qū de dào lù) to mean 'straight road' is incorrect; the right phrase would be '直的道路' (zhí de dào lù).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 曲

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 曲 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 曲

Formation TypePictographic 象形
六书 ClassificationPictograph (象形字)~4% of characters
Explanation

Pictograph of a bent object.

Memory Hint

A folded object 曰

Learn more about Pictograph (象形字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 曲

Pictograph of a bent object.

  1. 1The giveawayA folded object 曰
  2. 2On the record aspictographic — someone drew the thing itself.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 曲? 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 曲?

Decomposition of 曲

IDS Structure⿻曰⿰丨丨
曲Full Character
=
曰yue1
outer
丨gun3
left
丨gun3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 曲?

How to say bent in Chinese

“bent” in Chinese is曲Qū

The character 曲 (qū) primarily means 'bent' or 'crooked,' and it can also refer to a 'tune' or 'song.' It is commonly used in contexts related to music as well as to describe something that is not straight or is incorrect in some way. The nuance of the word often implies a sense of deviation from the norm, whether in physical form or moral guidance.

When to use 曲

Learners often confuse 曲 with 直 (zhí), which means 'straight.' In informal contexts, 曲 might be used to describe something that is wrong or misleading, while in formal contexts it refers to music. Pay attention to using the correct tone since 曲 (qū) can sound similar to other characters.

曲 or something close to it

曲 (qū) vs 歌 (gē) — use 曲 when referring to a tune or song with a focus on its melodic structure, while 歌 specifically refers to a song, particularly in a lyrical context.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 曲 (qū) with other characters like 曲 (qǔ) meaning 'to play music' or with 直 (zhí) meaning 'straight.' For instance, saying '曲的道路' (qū de dào lù) to mean 'straight road' is incorrect; the right phrase would be '直的道路' (zhí de dào lù).

Write 曲

曲

Practice writing 曲 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 曲

曲 functions as a measure word. Place it between a number/demonstrative and the noun it counts (一本书, 这个人). Different categories of nouns require different measure words. It carries 7 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.

Related grammar lessons1
Exercise 1 of 1

Complete the Sentence

流行歌____历来是社会文化不可缺少的一部分。

Pop songs have always been an indispensable part of social culture.

Example Sentences for 曲 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我努力保持蜷曲的姿势以免四肢受伤。

wǒ nǔ lì bǎo chí quán qū de zī shì yǐ miǎn sì zhī shòu shāng。

I tried to adopt a curled-up position to avoid damaging my limbs.
2
你可以跟着一起唱你最喜爱的“猫王”的热门歌曲。

nǐ kě yǐ gēn zháo yī qǐ chàng nǐ zuì xǐ ài de“ “ māo” wáng ” de rè mén。

You can sing along to your favourite Elvis hits.
3
她的行动和思想变得扭曲了，她的态度也是。

tā de háng dòng hé sī xiǎng biàn dé niǔ qū le， ， tā de tài dù yě。

Her actions and thoughts became distorted. So did her behavior.
4
约翰尼和盖伊是英国最了不起的、还未被公众认可的流行歌曲创作者。

yuē hàn ní hé gài yī shì yīng guó zuì le bù qǐ de、 、 huán wèi bèi gōng zhòng rèn kě de liú háng gē qū chuàng zuò。

Johnny and Guy are the greatest unacknowledged pop songwriters in Britain.
5
演奏钢琴的戴夫将这支曲子反复弹了两三遍。

yǎn zòu gāng qín de dài fū jiāng zhè zhī qū zǐ fǎn fù dàn le liǎng sān biàn。

Dave, the pianist, played it over a couple of times.
6
这是否是原本良好的增长曲线中暂时的偏离？

zhè shì fǒu shì yuán běn liáng hǎo de zēng cháng qū xiàn zhōng zàn shí de piān lí？

Was it just a temporary blip on an otherwise healthy growth curve?
7
爱乐乐团精彩演绎了这首高难度乐曲。

ài lè lè tuán jīng cǎi yǎn yì le zhè shǒu gāo nán dù lè qū。

The Philharmonia played this staggeringly difficult music superlatively well.
8
这套盒装专辑收录了64首最好听的当代爱情歌曲。

zhè tào hé zhuāng zhuān jí shōu lù le64 64 shǒu zuì hǎo tīng de dāng dài ài qíng gē。

This boxed collection captures 64 of the greatest modern love songs.
9
看看这份失实的警方报告吧，它忽略或歪曲了关键的事实。

kàn kàn zhè fèn shī shí de jǐng fāng bào gào bā， ， tā hū lüè huò wāi qū le guān jiàn de shì。

Look at the false police reports that omitted or misstated crucial facts.
10
这个人的整个人格似乎被永远地扭曲了。

zhè gè rén de zhěng gè rén gé sì hū bèi yǒng yuǎn dì niǔ qū le。

The individual's whole personality appears to be permanently warped.

Word Family of 曲

Compounds9
曹Cao2ministers, officials; a company; surname
蛐qu1cricket; worm
粬
豊feng1abundant, lush, bountiful, plenty
麯Qu1yeast, leaven
浀
筁
農nong2agriculture, farming; farmer
髷
Words Containing This Character20
歌曲gēqǔsong
曲qǔbent
曲线qūxiàncurve曲線
扭曲niǔqūto twist
曲子qǔzitune
弯曲wānqūto bend彎曲
曲棍球field hockey
曲折qūzhéwinding
曲目repertoire
插曲incidental music
作曲家composer
作曲to compose (music)
歪曲wāiqūto distort
戏曲xìqǔChinese opera戲曲
舞曲dance music
乐曲yuèqǔmusical composition樂曲
曲解to misrepresent
曲调tune曲調
三部曲trilogy
名曲famous song
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 曹 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 曲

Yes, 曲 (Qū) is a relatively common surname in China. It is one of the many Chinese surnames and is sometimes associated with certain regions or family lineages.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 曲?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.