勾
goù · HSK 7
to attract
🪝 sounds like 'go' with a hook — 勾 means to hook or tick
勾 (gōu) originally depicted a bent hook shape; today it covers hooking, ticking a checkbox, and figuratively attracting or arousing interest. The surname Gou borrows the same character.
勾 — 勹 wrap + 厶 private/small
勾 originally depicted a hook or curved shape, derived from 句 (which itself shows something bent or curved). The 勹 component suggests wrapping or enclosing, while 厶 adds the curved interior. Over time it came to mean 'hook,' 'to hook,' or 'to entice.'