弧 meaning and stroke order
Arc, crescent; wooden bow
How to write 弧, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
Meaning of 弧
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- arc
How 弧 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Bow.
弓 gives the meaning and 瓜 hints at the sound.
Radical: 弓 (bow), shared by 29 characters on this site.
How to remember 弧
弧 (hú) puts a bow 弓 (gōng) next to a melon 瓜 (guā). Picture a bent bow and the curved side of a melon: both show an arc, and 瓜 also hints at the sound.
弧 means a curved line or arc, and it shows up mostly in compound words rather than on its own. The most common everyday word is 括弧 (kuòhú), meaning parentheses or brackets. Example: 请把这个词放在括弧里。(Qǐng bǎ zhège cí fàng zài kuòhú lǐ.) Please put this word in parentheses.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 弧 (hú) with 孤 (gū, lonely), which has the same 瓜 on the right but 子 on the left. Remember that the bow 弓 gives the curved shape, so only 弧 means arc.
Common words with 弧
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 括弧 | kuòhú | parentheses; brackets | HSK 7-9 |
Questions about 弧
How many strokes are in 弧?
弧 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 弧 mean?
弧 (hú) means arc, crescent; wooden bow. A common word with it is 括弧 (kuòhú), meaning "parentheses; brackets".
How do you pronounce 弧?
弧 is pronounced hú, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 弧?
The radical of 弧 is 弓, which carries the idea of "bow". Dictionaries list 弧 under this radical.
Is 弧 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 弧 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do you say arc or curve in Chinese math and geometry?
In geometry an arc is usually 弧 or 弧线 (húxiàn, arc line). The radian unit is 弧度 (húdù).
Why is 弧 pronounced hú when 瓜 is pronounced guā?
瓜 is the sound component, but sounds have shifted over time, so the match is only partial. Other characters with 瓜, such as 狐 (hú, fox), share the hú reading, which can help you remember it.