钩 (gōu) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

钩

gōu[gou1]Tone 1

hook

HSK 7

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鉤

Multiple Readings (多音字):

Guru Deep Dive

English · hook

Cached lesson

雙生字Twin Character Traps (雙生字)

View in Twin Characters

Often confused with 钧 (jūn) — 钩's right side is 勾 and 钧's is 匀: the middle stroke folds down-left in 勾 and runs flat in 匀.
钩 vs 钧 Drill this pair

11. Meaning

to hook

to sewto crochethookcheck mark or tickwindow catch

verb / nounNeutral#tools#crafts#actions

Logic Map — how this character is really built

钅the Gold Ingotleft
勾the Bent Hookright

Metal is shaped from the Gold Ingot （钅） while the Bent Hook （勾） cues the exact sound gōu. Curving sharply to catch and hold, this character signifies a hook.

Sound part: 勾 (gōu) → gives the exact reading gōu.

Sample Usage

把衣服挂在钩子上。
bǎ yīfu guà zài gōuzi shang.
Hang the clothes on the hook.
用钩针编织。
yòng gōuzhēn biānzhī.
Crochet with a hook needle.

22. Sound

/[koʊ̯⁵⁵]/Tone: 55

钩

gōugou1

¯(55)

=gōu

Build the syllable

Step-by-step blending

gou

Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "o" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).

Initial Consonant

Type: Unaspirated Velar

Sounds like: hard g sound as in 'go'

Unaspirated

Airflow Tactile Test: No burst of air (sounds like 'c' in Vietnamese 'cá' or 'k' in English 'skate').

Tongue & Mouth Position: Back of the tongue raised against the soft palate

Final Rhyme

Vowel Group: -o vowel group

Sounds like: rhymes with 'oh' or the 'o' in 'go'

Mouth Shape Guide: Combine initial 'g-' (g/k) with final '-ou' (oh).

Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.

Tone

T1 (55)

5 → 5 (55)

1st Tone (High-Flat)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 1 stays flat and high, matching the level pitch of an opera singer warming up.

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Listening trap: Do not confuse with the 4rd tone gòu (òu), which drops sharply. This is a flat, sustained high pitch.

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Physical Tone Gesture: Imagine a steady, high-pitched note sung flat at the very top of your vocal range, like a soprano holding a high note.

33. Writing12 strokes · animate & practice

1 / 1

Topology:Left-right

Strokes:12 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left metal radical (钅) is compressed and compact, leaving ample horizontal space for the right phonetic component (句) to maintain structural harmony without leaning.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 鉤 features the complex traditional metal radical 金, which was simplified to 钅 in modern Simplified Chinese.

44. Components

Radical 钅 · metal radical (metal, mineral)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 钅 (indicates metal material, as hooks are typically made of metal)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 句 (original sound: gou)

A metal (钅) object shaped into a sentence-like curving stroke (句) forms a metal hook (钩).

钅metal radical (semantic)
句sentence / phonetic component (gōu)

55. HistoryCombined from the metal radical (金/钅) representing metallic tools and the pho...

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Variant forms: 鈎

Origin: Combined from the metal radical (金/钅) representing metallic tools and the phonetic component 句 representing the curving shape of a hook.

Semantic Evolution: Originally denoting a metal instrument with a curved end used for catching, pulling, or hanging objects. Over time, it expanded to mean actions like hooking, crocheting, and drawing a check mark.

Ancient bronze hooks were prized artifacts used in clothing fasteners and weaponry.

66. SinosphereKanji (Japanese) コウ (kou)

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Kanji (Japanese)

On: コウ (kou) / Kun: かぎ (kagi)

77. Memory

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

句(jù)

句 means sentence and lacks the metal radical (钅) on the left.

88. Mastery请把外套挂在门后的[___]上。

Active Recall Challenge

请把外套挂在门后的[___]上。

Clue: gōu

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the tones or writing the complex traditional radical 鉤 instead of the simplified 钅.

Memory Prompts

Recognition: What does the character 钩 mean when combined with the metal radical and 句?

Production: How do you write the word for 'hook' (gōu) using the metal radical?

🎬 Videos12 clips · real-world usage

钩gōuhook

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