Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 鞠躬 | jūgōng | /t͡ɕy⁵⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Mainland China, Sinological IPA) /t͡ɕy³⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Taiwan, Sinological IPA) |
| 躬 | gōng | /kʊŋ⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /kʊŋ⁵⁵/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
| 哈腰 | hāyāo | /xä⁵⁵ jɑʊ̯⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /haː⁵⁵ jiːu̯⁵⁵/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
The primary way to express the action of bowing as a gesture of respect or deference is 鞠躬. This term is used in formal settings, such as during ceremonies, stage performances or when discussing polite social etiquette. It can function as both a verb and a noun describing the gesture made by bending forward at the waist.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 鞠躬 (jūgōng) is composed of 鞠 (to bend/to bow) and 躬 (one's own body), literally meaning 'to bend one's body'.
Which one should you use?
While 鞠躬 refers to a formal gesture of respect, the term 哈腰 (hāyāo) describes the physical act of bending at the waist in a more casual or colloquial manner.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
鞠躬 is the standard and formal term. 哈腰 is a colloquial way to describe the physical bending of the waist. In formal contexts, the character 拜 (bài) can also represent the act of bowing.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
jūgōng (/tɕy⁵⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵/)
When do people say it?
In certain contexts, such as funerals in Hong Kong, the phrase 鞠躬 is used as part of a ritualized sequence of bows to express gratitude to guests. In other East Asian contexts like Japan, the act of bowing is a fundamental component of politeness when meeting others.
Did you know?
- In traditional Chinese culture, the act of bowing 拜 was once categorized into distinct levels of formality based on how many knees touched the ground.
- The character 躬 (gōng) in 鞠躬 uses the radical for 'body', but its phonetic component is the character for 'bow' (the weapon), 弓.
- In traditional Chinese opera, specific types of 鞠躬 are used as a non-verbal language to signal a character's social status or emotional state to the audience.
Examples in context
- 鞠躬！Bow down!This example shows the command to bow down using 鞠躬.Tatoeba #7767613 by jiangche, translation #7532023 by shekitten
- 一鞠躬，再鞠躬，三鞠躬，家屬謝禮！First bow, second bow, third bow, gratitude from the family members! (Said by the celebrant to guests when they arrive at funerals in Hong Kong)This example illustrates a specific ritualized sequence of 鞠躬 used by a celebrant at a funeral in Hong Kong.
- 在日本，遇到人鞠躬是有礼貌的表现。In Japan, it is polite to bow when one meets someone.This example uses 鞠躬 to describe the polite social etiquette of bowing in Japan.Tatoeba #461630 by fucongcong, translation #5901292 by peterius
Example conversation
浩然 and 晓雯 are practicing for a formal ceremony.
- 浩然 Haoran表演结束时，你要记得鞠躬。biǎoyǎn jiéshù shí, nǐ yào jìde jūgōng.When the performance ends, remember to bow.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen好的，我会认真鞠躬的。hǎo de, wǒ huì rènzhēn jūgōng de.Okay, I will bow sincerely.
- 浩然 Haoran动作要自然，不要太快。dòngzuò yào zìrán, bùyào tài kuài.The movement should be natural, not too fast.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen没问题，我明白了。méi wèntí, wǒ míngbai le.No problem, I understand.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bow” translations and entries 鞠躬, 躬, 哈腰, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 躬, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
