躬 gōng to bow
to bow; personally; in person
How to remember 躬: 身 body + 弓 bow = to bow. After hitting the target, the archer lowers his bow and bends his whole body to bow to the cheering crowd.
Component breakdown
躬 = 身 body + 弓 bow
- 身 body
- 弓 bow
After hitting the target, the archer lowers his bow and bends his whole body to bow to the cheering crowd.
How it is used
- To bow, and personally/in person - 鞠躬 (jūgōng) to take a bow, 鞠躬尽瘁 (jūgōng-jìncuì) to devote oneself utterly (until death).
- 事必躬亲 (shìbì-gōngqīn) means to attend to everything personally; 躬行 (gōngxíng) means to practice personally. Formal/literary in the 'in person' sense.