How to Write 拱 (gǒng) — Meaning “to arch; to cup one's hands”

Picture your two hands (扌) coming together to form an arch, like the shape of the right component 共 which looks like a small bridge or a pair of hands cupped. This visual helps link the hand radical to the arching action.

Write the left radical 扌 first: horizontal stroke, then vertical hook, then a short lift. For the right part 共, ensure the two horizontal strokes are evenly spaced and the vertical stroke goes straight through both horizontals. A common mistake is making the vertical stroke too short or tilting the horizontals.

拱 means 'to arch' or 'cup hands' and has the right component 共 (like 'together'). 扭 means 'to twist' and has 丑 (ugly) on the right. 㧜 is a very rare character, not used in modern Chinese, so you will almost never see it; focus on remembering 拱's common words like 拱桥 (arch bridge) and 拱手 (salute).

拱 appears in words for architectural arches like 拱桥 (arch bridge) and 拱门 (archway). It is also used in the gesture 拱手 (gǒng shǒu), where you cup one hand in the other to show respect, a traditional Chinese greeting still used today during festivals or formal occasions.

Common words containing 拱 include: 拱桥 (gǒng qiáo) — arch bridge; 拱手 (gǒng shǒu) — to cup one's hands in salute; 拱门 (gǒng mén) — archway; arched door.