How to Write 弮 (quān) — Meaning “To bend a bow; a bent bow.”

Imagine a bow (弓) made of flesh (月), so flexible that you can bend it easily into a curve. The shape itself looks like a bow with a curved body, reminding you that 弮 means 'to bend a bow'.

The left radical 弓 must be written with three strokes: the first horizontal stroke, then a short vertical hook, and finally a sweeping horizontal stroke with a curve. The right part 月 should be narrow and slightly shorter than the bow, with two horizontal strokes inside, not three as in 肉.

弮 (quān) means to bend a bow, while 弟 (dì) means younger brother and has the component 弓 but with different strokes: 弟 has a long vertical stroke and a dot above. 张 (zhāng) means to open a bow or to draw, and uses 弓 with 长 (long) on the right, implying stretching, whereas 弮 implies curving inward.

弮 is a classical character not common in daily modern Chinese, appearing mostly in historical or literary texts about weapons. It is used in words like 弮弩 (a powerful crossbow) and 弮发 (release of a bow), often found in descriptions of ancient warfare or archery techniques.

Common words containing 弮 include: 弮弩 (quān nǔ) — A powerful crossbow.; 弮曲 (quān qū) — To bend or curve; 弮发 (quān fā) — The release of a bow; the power of a shot..