弱
じゃく · jaku · JLPT N1 · suffix
supple
🧵 Sounds like jacket: a soft jacket is supple, not stiff
Jaku means delicate and easy to bend. Like a thread, it gives under pressure rather than snapping, so think flexible more than frail.
弱 — two 弓 (bows) + two 彡 (feathers/strokes)
Originally depicted two bent bows with drooping feathers or fine hairs, suggesting something pliant and weak. The doubled 弓 emphasizes flexibility, while 彡 evokes delicate, thin strands. The image of a soft, bending bow extended to mean 'weak,' 'frail,' or 'young.'