弯
Character Story & Explanation
弯 is widely used in modern Chinese for describing physical curvature — highways (弯道 wāndào), river bends (河弯 héwān), and body movements (弯腰 wānyāo, 'to bend over'). It appears in the common idiom 九曲十八弯 (jiǔ qū shí bā wān), literally 'nine curves, eighteen bends', describing famously winding terrain like the Yellow River — documented in Ming-Qing travel literature and still used today in geography and tourism contexts.
The character evolved from seal script, where 弯 combined 弓 (bow) and 亦 (yì, originally a phonetic element, not 'also'). No oracle bone form survives, but early bronze inscriptions show 弯 already associated with archery equipment — bows must bend to store energy. Today, Chinese drivers see 弯道 warning signs on mountain roads, reinforcing its real-world functional use.
Hello students! Today we’ll explore the character 弯 (wān), meaning 'to bend' — both physically and figuratively. It’s a Level 5 HSK character, so it appears in intermediate-to-advanced texts. Notice its radical 弓 (gōng), meaning 'bow' — like an archer’s bow, which is naturally curved. This visual clue helps you remember that 弯 is all about curvature, flexibility, and deviation from straightness.
Don’t confuse 弯 with simple verbs like 折 (zhé, 'to break/fold') — 弯 implies smooth, continuous curving without breaking. You’ll see it in words describing roads, rivers, postures, and even abstract ideas like 'twisting logic' or 'a roundabout way'. Its tone is first (wān), so practice saying it clearly: like 'swan' but with a flat, high pitch.
Writing 弯 takes exactly 9 strokes — start with the 弓 radical on the left (three strokes: horizontal, left-falling, hook), then add the right side (6 strokes: dot, horizontal, vertical, dot, horizontal,捺). The right component (亦) is a phonetic hint (though pronunciation has shifted), not a meaning carrier. Focus on keeping the curve implied by the shape — your hand should flow smoothly as you write!
Example Sentences
Common Compounds
Similar Characters — Don't Mix These Up
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