弯曲

• Pinyin: wān qū
• Hanzi breakdown: 弯 = 弓 (bow) + simplified top; 曲 = pictograph of a bent/crooked line

Meaning

Curved; winding; bent. Not straight; having curves or bends.

Used to describe physical shapes (roads, rivers, body parts) and abstract concepts (twisted logic, distorted facts). Can function as both adjective and verb (to bend, to curve). Related: 弯弯曲曲 (very winding, reduplicated for emphasis).

Examples

1. 这条山路弯弯曲曲的，开车要特别小心。 This mountain road is very winding, so you need to be extra careful when driving.
2. 她的脊椎有点弯曲，医生建议做矫正治疗。 Her spine is slightly curved, and the doctor recommends corrective treatment.
3. 河流弯曲地流过整个山谷。 The river flows in curves through the entire valley.

Usage Guide

Context: descriptive, medical, geography

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 这条路很弯曲。(This road is very winding.)
• 不要弯曲脊柱。(Don't bend your spine.)

Don't Say

• 他的性格很弯曲 — 形容性格不用弯曲，可以用'扭曲'来形容不正常的心理

Origin & History

Compound of 弯 (bent, curved) + 曲 (crooked, winding). Both characters share the meaning of being not straight.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal