How to Write 钩 (gōu) — Meaning “Hook”

Picture a metal fishhook (钅) shaped like the letter "J" catching a square fish (the right side 勾 looks like a square with a hook). Imagine saying "go fish" because the sound "gōu" is close to "go"—so you can remember 钩 as a metal hook that lets you "go" fishing.

The left radical 钅 has a specific order: first the left-falling stroke, then the three horizontal strokes, and finally the vertical hook—do not write them as separate dots. The right part 勾 starts with a short left-falling stroke, then a horizontal stroke that curves down into a hook; make sure the hook at the bottom is sharp and points up-left. A common mistake is making the right side too wide or forgetting the final small hook inside.

While 针 (zhēn, needle) and 钉 (dīng, nail) are both made of metal, 钩 specifically means a curved or bent piece with a pointed tip for catching or holding things. 针 is long and thin with a sharp point for sewing, while 钉 is straight with a flat head for hammering into surfaces. In writing, 钩 has a hook stroke on the right, whereas 针 has the simple 十 component and 钉 has 丁 with a vertical stroke ending in a hook.

钩 appears in everyday words like 钩子 (gōu zi, hook) for hanging clothes or keys, and 鱼钩 (yú gōu, fishing hook) for angling. The word 挂钩 (guà gōu) can mean a literal hook for hanging things or it can be used figuratively, such as "linking" two systems together. In Chinese culture, hooks are also associated with martial arts weapons like the "hook sword" (钩镰刀).

Common words containing 钩 include: 钩子 (gōu zi) — Hook; 鱼钩 (yú gōu) — Fishing hook; 挂钩 (guà gōu) — hook; to link.