Common Meanings
1
gōu勾
To mark, tick off, or cross out (e.g., words, items on a list) with a pen or pencil to indicate deletion, selection, or completion.
老师用红笔勾出了学生作业中的错别字。
The teacher used a red pen to mark out the typos in the student's homework.
To draw an outline or sketch; to delineate.
她用铅笔轻轻地勾勒出女孩的侧影。
She gently sketched the girl's profile with a pencil.
To fill joints or seams in construction with mortar, cement, or similar materials; to point (masonry or tiles).
师傅们正在给新砌的墙勾缝。
The master workers are pointing the newly built wall.
To thicken (with starch) or season food.
炒菜时，最后勾个芡能让汤汁更浓郁。
When stir-frying, thickening the sauce with starch at the end can make it richer.
To pull, attract, or collude with; to entice.
她用甜美的笑容勾住了在场所有人的心。
She captured everyone's heart in the room with her sweet smile.
To stay, to linger, or to make a brief stop, similar to '勾留' (gōuliú) meaning to stay for a short while.
他在风景如画的小镇勾留了一宿。
He stayed for a night in the picturesque small town.
To seize, capture, or deeply captivate, often implying a strong, almost irresistible allure.
她那动人的歌声，真是勾人心弦
Her moving singing truly plucks at one's heartstrings.
In ancient Chinese mathematics, 'gōu' refers to the shorter leg of a right-angled triangle, as seen in the 'gōu gǔ theorem' (Pythagorean theorem).
计算直角三角形的勾时，我们通常会用到勾股定理。
When calculating the 'gōu' (shorter leg) of a right-angled triangle, we usually apply the Pythagorean theorem.
2
gòu勾
A shady or dishonest affair; a misdeed, especially a secret or illicit one.
他们背地里在干什么勾当？
What shady business are they doing behind our backs?
To be enough; to suffice (colloquial variant of 够).
这点心勾你饱了吗？
Is this snack enough to satisfy you?