How to Write 弱 (ruò) — Meaning “Weak, feeble”

Imagine two bows (弓) made of ice (冫) — they look strong but are actually very weak and will break easily. This visual of 'icy bows' helps you remember that 弱 means weak or feeble.

Write the left 弓 first (3 strokes), then the two dots (冫) above the bow's inside area, then repeat for the right side. A common mistake is placing the dots too far apart or writing them as lines; keep them as small dots centered within each bow.

弱 has two bows (弓) with ice dots (冫) on each side, while 弥 has a 弓 on the left and 尔 on the right (meaning fill). 弦 has a 弓 on the left and 玄 on the right (meaning string). Visually, 弱 is the only one with two sets of dots inside the bows.

弱 commonly appears in words like 虚弱 (weak/frail), 弱点 (weakness), and 弱小 (small and weak). Culturally, the concept of 'weakness' is sometimes seen positively in Daoist philosophy, where apparent weakness (like water) can be a form of strength.

Common words containing 弱 include: 弱小 (ruò xiǎo) — Small and weak; 虚弱 (xū ruò) — Weak; frail.; 弱点 (ruò diǎn) — Weakness, weak point.