How to Write 躬 (gōng) — Meaning “to bow; personally”

Picture a person (身) pulling a bow (弓) to shoot an arrow — but instead of shooting, they bend forward into a bow. The "gōng" sound can also remind you of the word "gong" (a bell), which often marks the start of a bow in traditional ceremonies.

Keep the left part 身 narrow and the right part 弓 balanced; a common mistake is making 身 too wide, which makes the character unbalanced. Remember that 身 has a slightly curved vertical stroke, and after finishing 身 you write the 弓 from top to bottom in three strokes.

Both share the radical 身, but 躬 uses 弓 (bow) on the right, while 躯 uses 区 (a box marked with a cross). 躬 means to bow or personally do something, whereas 躯 refers to the physical body or torso, as in 身躯 (body).

躬 appears in formal or literary expressions like 鞠躬 (to bow), often used in respectful greetings or ceremonies. It also appears in 亲躬 (to handle something personally), which is quite formal and not common in everyday conversation.

Common words containing 躬 include: 鞠躬 (jū gōng) — To bow; 躬身 (gōng shēn) — to bow; to bend over; 亲躬 (qīn gōng) — to do something personally (formal).