How to Write 勾 (gōu/gòu) — Meaning “to tick or hook”

Picture a fishhook (the 勹) catching a small private fish (the 厶 inside). This visual of a hook snagging something helps you remember that 勾 means to hook or to tick.

Start with the curve of 勹, which should be smooth and not too sharp, then write the small 厶 inside. The most common mistake is making the inner 厶 too large or disconnected from the outer curve.

勹 is a radical meaning "wrap" and is rarely used alone, while 勺 means "spoon" and has a dot inside instead of 厶. 勾 contains a hooking action, unlike 勺 which is a utensil for scooping.

勾 is used in everyday writing for marking items with a checkmark (like a tick) or drawing outlines, e.g., 勾画 means to sketch. However, it can also have negative meanings like in 勾结 (collusion) or 勾当 (shady deals), so pay attention to context.

Common words containing 勾 include: 勾画 (gōu huà) — to sketch or delineate; 勾结 (gōu jié) — collude with; 勾当 (gòu dàng) — Shady business; dirty deal.