bow, bow (archery, violin)

About this kanji

The kanji 弓, pronounced as "ゆみ" in kun'yomi and "キュウ" in on'yomi, primarily means "bow," referring to the weapon used in archery or as a musical instrument like a violin bow. It is commonly used as a noun. Some important compounds include 弓道 (きゅうどう), meaning "kyūdō" or the way of the bow (Japanese archery); 弓矢 (ゆみや), meaning "bow and arrow"; and 弓具 (きゅうぐ), which refers to "archery equipment." A noteworthy feature of this kanji is its depiction of the curved shape of a bow, reflecting its role in both hunting and music.

Example sentences

• 彼は弓を引いて的を狙った。

  He drew the bow and aimed at the target.

Meanings across languages

English

bow, bow (archery, violin)

Tiếng Việt

cung

日本語

弓

한국어

활

中文

弓

id

busur

th

ธนู

es

arco

fr

arc

de

Bogen

pt

arco

Common compounds

• 弓道きゅうどうkyūdō, kyudo, Japanese archery
• 洋弓ようきゅう(Western) archery, Western-style bow
• 弓矢ゆみやbow and arrow, weapon, arms
• 梓弓あずさゆみcatalpa bow, spirit bow, bow used to summon spirits, made of Japanese cherry birch, catalpa, or other wood
• 弓具きゅうぐthings used in archery
• 弓弦ゆみづるbowstring
• 弓術きゅうじゅつ(Japanese) archery
• 胡弓こきゅうkokyū, 3 or 4-stringed bowed Japanese musical instrument, any Asian string instrument played with a bow