勾 gōu / gòu — to cancel; to delineate; hook; affair; to reach for (with hand)
请把正确的答案勾出来。Qǐng bǎ zhèng què de dá àn gōu chū lái.Please tick the correct answer.
Common words: 勾结 (gōu jié)、勾画 (gōu huà)、勾人 (gōu rén)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "hook"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "hook", including 勾 (gōu / gòu), 钩 (gōu). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "hook" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 勾 (gōu / gòu), 钩 (gōu) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span gōu, gòu — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 勾 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 勾 gōu / gòuto cancel; to delineate; hook; affair; to reach for (with hand)Useful words: 勾结, 勾画
- 钩 gōuentice; hookUseful words: 钩子, 挂钩
Common words for these 2 "hook" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 勾 (gōu / gòu) — so "hook" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "hook".
钩 gōu — entice; hook
他把外套挂在了门后的钩子上。Tā bǎ wài tào guà zài le mén hòu de gōu zi shàng.He hung his coat on the hook behind the door.
Common words: 钩子 (gōu zi)、挂钩 (guà gōu)、上钩 (shàng gōu)
All 2 characters
Open 勾、钩 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.