钩
Character Story & Explanation
In modern Chinese life, 钩 most commonly appears in verbs like 勾选 (gōu xuǎn, 'to select/checkbox') and nouns like 鱼钩 (yú gōu, 'fishhook'). It’s central to the idiom 勾心斗角 (gōu xīn dòu jiǎo), meaning 'intrigue and rivalry', historically referencing the interlocking curved roof brackets of imperial palaces — a documented architectural feature in Tang and Song dynasty texts. The phrase evolved metaphorically by the Ming dynasty to describe political maneuvering.
The character 钩 is a phono-semantic compound: left radical 钅 (metal) + right phonetic component 句 (jù/gōu). Its earliest attested form appears in Han dynasty clerical script, clearly derived from 句 (a bent shape) with the metal radical added to specify 'metal hook'. No oracle bone form exists — it emerged later as bronze and iron forging advanced.
Imagine a bustling Beijing hutong at dawn: a street vendor hangs fresh baozi on metal hooks outside his steamer cart, each hook gleaming under the pale sun. The character 钩 (gōu) literally means 'hook' — not just a physical object, but an action: to catch, latch, or secure. Its metallic radical 钅 signals its association with metal tools, reflecting how early Chinese hooks were forged from bronze and iron for fishing, warfare, and daily tasks.
This character appears in contexts far beyond hardware. In calligraphy, the 'hook stroke' (gōu) is one of the eight essential brush strokes — a sharp, downward flick ending in a curl, crucial for characters like 永 (eternal). Students practicing handwriting drill this motion repeatedly, as mastering the hook defines legibility and elegance in written Chinese.
Even digitally, 钩 persists: WeChat users tap the '✓' icon — colloquially called 打钩 (dǎ gōu, 'to check off') — to confirm messages or mark completed tasks. This modern usage bridges ancient function and contemporary interface design, proving that 钩 remains deeply embedded in both material culture and digital behavior across generations.
Example Sentences
Common Compounds
Similar Characters — Don't Mix These Up
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