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躬 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
躬
gōng
body
HSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 身, rank #14872, Very Hard
躬
gōng
oneself
HSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 身, rank #14872, Very Hard
躬
gōng
personally
HSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 身, rank #14872, Very Hard
躬
gōng
to bow
HSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 身, rank #14872, Very Hard
躬
gōng
to bow; personally, in person; oneself
HSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 身, rank #14872, Very Hard
躬
gōng
old variant of 躬[gōng]
HSK 7, v, 10 strokes, radical 身, rank #14872, Very Hard
gōng(gong1)gong T1
1body
2oneself
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March 24, 2026
躬gōng(gong1)
The character 躬 (gōng) conveys the meaning of 'to bow' or 'to bend one's body.' It is often used to express doing something personally or directly, emphasizing self-involvement in an action. This term can also relate to a sense of humility or respect when one bows as a gesture.
Strokes10Radical身Frequency#14872DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note
In traditional Chinese culture, bowing is a sign of respect and humility, especially in rituals and greetings. The character 躬 embodies this cultural significance, highlighting the importance of personal involvement in social and familial duties.
Memory tip
Imagine someone bending down to tie their shoelaces, symbolizing the action of bowing or bending their body (躬). The character combines the radical for 'body' (身) with the action of bending, making it memorable that 躬 relates to personal involvement.
Meanings of 躬
gōng(gong1)
1body
2oneself
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
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About 躬
躬Simplified
10Strokes
身Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#14872Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7
Podcast: 躬
Podcast: 躬
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AI study notes for 躬
Quick Contrast
敬 (jìng) vs 躬 (gōng): choose 躬 when emphasizing physical bending or personal involvement, while 敬 focuses on the act of showing respect or honor.
Usage Notes
Common mistakes include confusing 躬 with similar characters, such as 恭 (gōng), which means 'respectful.' Use 躬 in contexts where you want to emphasize personal action, especially in formal situations. Note that the tone is important; make sure to pronounce it correctly as gōng (first tone).
HSK Study Tips
While 躬 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it connects to HSK words related to personal actions and respect. Focus on understanding its usage in formal contexts and how it contrasts with less personal verbs.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 躬 with the character 恭 due to similar pronunciation and writing. For example, saying '我会恭这个' (I will bow this) is incorrect; it should be '我会躬这个'.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 躬
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The character 躬 (gōng) conveys the meaning of 'to bow' or 'to bend one's body.' It is often used to express doing something personally or directly, emphasizing self-involvement in an action. This term can also relate to a sense of humility or respect when one bows as a gesture.
When to use 躬
Common mistakes include confusing 躬 with similar characters, such as 恭 (gōng), which means 'respectful.' Use 躬 in contexts where you want to emphasize personal action, especially in formal situations. Note that the tone is important; make sure to pronounce it correctly as gōng (first tone).
躬 or something close to it
敬 (jìng) vs 躬 (gōng): choose 躬 when emphasizing physical bending or personal involvement, while 敬 focuses on the act of showing respect or honor.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 躬 with the character 恭 due to similar pronunciation and writing. For example, saying '我会恭这个' (I will bow this) is incorrect; it should be '我会躬这个'.
Write 躬
躬
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Grammar patterns of 躬
躬 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 6 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.
Exercise 1 of 5
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
wǒ kuāzhāng dì Jū le gè gōng， ránhòu huī shǒu zhì yì。
I gave a theatrical bow and waved.
3
她夸张地鞠了个躬。“阿纳斯塔西娅·克鲁布尼克，随时为您效劳，”她说。
tā kuāzhāng dì Jū le gè gōng。“ Ā nà Sī tǎ xī yà· kè Lǔ bù ní kè， suíshí wèi nín xiào láo，” tā shuō。
She bowed dramatically. "Anastasia Krupnik, at your service," she said.
4
我对谁都不会卑躬屈膝。
wǒ duì shéi dōu bù huì bēi gōng Qū xī。
I don't grovel to anybody.
5
他们向路易斯深深鞠躬，并忙不迭地给他让道。
tāmen xiàng lù yì Sī shēnshēn jūgōng， bìng máng bù dié dì gěi tā ràng dào。
They bowed low to Louis and hastened out of his way.
6
我止住了他那种卑躬屈节的神气, 告诉他,我饶恕了他.
wǒ zhǐ zhù le tā nà zhǒng bēi gōng Qū jié de shénqì, gàosu tā, wǒ ráoshù le tā.
I abated his cringes, told him I forgave him.
7
他咧嘴讪笑，并朝她鞠了一躬。
tā liězuǐ shàn xiào， bìng cháo tā Jū le yī gōng。
He grinned sardonically and bowed towards her.
8
我向她举帽示礼,她鞠躬答礼.
wǒ xiàng tā jǔ mào shì lǐ, tā jūgōng dá lǐ.
I raise my hat to her and she bowed in return.
9
瑞德向她鞠了一躬,嘴角往下一撇,露出愉快的微笑.
ruì dé xiàng tā Jū le yī gōng, zuǐ jiǎo wǎng xià yī piě, lòu chū yúkuài de wēixiào.
Rhett bowed and his lip curled down in an amused smile.
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Cultural Notes for 躬
🌏Cross-cultural Insight
In Western cultures, bowing is less common and often reserved for formal events, while in China, it is a regular gesture of respect in many contexts, such as greeting elders.
Word Family of 躬
Compounds2
匑gōng
窮qióngpoor, destitute; to exhaust
Words containing this character11
鞠躬jūgōngto bow
躬gōngbody
躬身gōngshēnto bow
鞠躬尽瘁jūgōngjìncuìto bend to a task and spare no effort (idiom); striving to the utmost鞠躬盡瘁
事必躬亲shìbìgōngqīnto attend to everything personally事必躬親
卑躬屈膝bēigōngqūxīto bow and bend the knee (idiom); fawning
躬行gōngxíngto personally undertake or manage
躬亲gōngqīnin person躬親
反躬自问fǎngōngzìwènintrospection反躬自問
打躬作揖dǎgōngzuòyīto beg humbly
卑躬屈节bēigōngqūjiéto bow and scrape卑躬屈節
Exercise 1 of 4
Characters with 躬
What does 窮 mean?
Frequently asked questions about 躬
躬 focuses on the physical action of bowing or bending, while 恭 emphasizes respect and reverence.
It is more commonly used in formal or written contexts, rather than casual conversation.
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