How to Write 弧 (hú) — Meaning “Arc; curve.”

Imagine a bow (弓) shooting an arrow along a curved path, and the arrow lands next to a melon (瓜) that is perfectly round. The bow’s curve and the melon’s roundness both emphasize the meaning of an arc.

The left radical 弓 is narrow and should be written with three strokes: a horizontal hook, then a horizontal stroke, and finally a vertical fold hook. On the right side, 瓜 has five strokes; be careful to write the first stroke (a slight right-falling slash) before the central vertical hook, and keep the two dots symmetrical. A common mistake is making the right side too wide or misplacing the dots on 瓜.

弧 (hú, arc) uses 弓 (bow) with 瓜 (melon) on the right. 弛 (chí, to relax or loosen) also has 弓 on the left but has 也 (yě) on the right, meaning to unbend a bow. 弟 (dì, younger brother) looks different: it is all one character with a distinct shape (like a ladder) and has no 弓 radical.

弧 appears in geometry and physics terms like 弧线 (hú xiàn, curved line) and 弧度 (hú dù, radian). It is also used in everyday speech for curved objects, such as 圆弧 (yuán hú, circular arc). Though not in HSK, you may see it in technical or mathematical contexts.

Common words containing 弧 include: 弧线 (hú xiàn) — Arc; curved line.; 圆弧 (yuán hú) — Circular arc; 弧度 (hú dù) — Radian..