1. to bend your head or upper body forward as a sign of respect or greeting
鞠躬，彎腰行禮
The performers bowed to the audience at the end of the show.
表演結束時，演員們向觀眾鞠躬。
In Japan, people often bow when they meet.
在日本，人們見面時常常鞠躬。
Bow Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
bow
verb
快速理解
What does "Bow" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Bow"?
「bow」作動詞時，主要表示彎腰、鞠躬或使某物彎曲的動作。
- 1
彎腰；鞠躬
EN: to bend your head or upper body forward as a sign of respect or greeting
翻譯: 彎腰或鞠躬，以示尊敬或問候。
- 2
使彎曲；壓彎
EN: to bend something or to be bent under weight or pressure
翻譯: 因重量或壓力而使某物彎曲。
- 3
屈服；順從
EN: to submit or yield to someone's wishes or authority
翻譯: 屈服或順從於他人的意願或權威。
- 4
以弓演奏
EN: to play a stringed instrument with a bow
翻譯: 用琴弓來演奏弦樂器。
小提醒：注意「bow」作動詞時發音為 /baʊ/，與名詞「弓」或「蝴蝶結」（發音 /boʊ/）不同。
發音（How to Pronounce "Bow" in English）
How to pronounce "Bow" in English?"Bow" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Bow" from YouTube Videos
Arunachalam Muruganantham: How I started a sanitary napkin revolution!
TED
“doses of blood will go there. That makes me bow down to any woman in front of me to give full respect.”
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Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Bow"?How does "Bow" change by context?
2. to bend or curve downward under weight or pressure
（因重量或壓力而）彎曲，下垂
The tree branches bowed under the heavy snow.
樹枝被厚重的積雪壓彎了。
The old bookshelf bowed in the middle from the weight of the books.
舊書架因書的重量而在中間彎曲了。
3. to submit or yield to someone's authority or wishes
順從，屈服
He refused to bow to political pressure.
他拒絕屈服於政治壓力。
The king demanded that all visitors bow before him.
國王要求所有訪客都向他俯首稱臣。
4. to play a stringed instrument with a bow
用弓拉奏（弦樂器）
She bowed the cello with great emotion.
她充滿感情地用弓拉奏大提琴。
The violinist bowed the final note beautifully.
小提琴家用弓拉出了最後一個優美的音符。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Bow"?How to make natural sentences with "Bow"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| bow + to + person/thing | 向…鞠躬；屈服於… | The knight bowed to the queen. (騎士向女王鞠躬。) |
| bow + down + (before/to + person/thing) | 向…下拜；崇拜 | They bowed down before the idol. (他們在神像前下拜。) |
| bow + one's head | 低下頭 | She bowed her head in prayer. (她低下頭祈禱。) |
| bow + out (of something) | 退出，引退 | He decided to bow out of the competition. (他決定退出比賽。) |
| bow + before + pressure/demands | 在壓力/要求面前屈服 | The company bowed before public pressure. (公司在公眾壓力面前屈服了。) |
用法說明
How is "Bow" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Bow"?
bow to do vs bow to doing
- bow to do 通常指「為了做某事而鞠躬」，強調鞠躬這個動作是為了達成某個特定目的或請求。
- bow to doing 則表示「屈服於做某事」，這裡的「doing」是動名詞，指代一件被迫接受或不得不做的事情，重點在於屈服或順從的狀態。
- 在表示「向某人鞠躬致意」時，通常使用 bow to someone，而不會接「doing」。
- 當表示「向壓力/要求低頭」時，兩種結構都可能出現，但 bow to doing 更強調接受一個令人不悅的具體行動。 EN: The performer will bow to thank the audience. 翻譯: 表演者將鞠躬以感謝觀眾。
EN:He finally bowed to accepting their harsh terms.
翻譯:他最終屈服，接受了他們嚴苛的條件。
EN:She bowed to greet the visiting dignitary.
翻譯:她鞠躬問候來訪的貴賓。
EN:The company bowed to changing its policy after the scandal.
翻譯:在醜聞之後，公司屈服並改變了其政策。
總結建議
在表達「為某事鞠躬」時用 bow to do，表達「屈服於做某事」時則用 bow to doing。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Bow" and similar words?How to choose "Bow" vs alternatives?
bow vs bend
「bow」通常指向前彎腰以示尊敬或順從，動作較正式且帶有禮儀性質；「bend」則泛指任何彎曲的動作，範圍更廣，可以是彎腰、彎曲身體部位或物體。
bow vs stoop
「bow」是刻意、有控制的彎腰動作，通常上身保持挺直；「stoop」則常指因疲勞、年老或習慣而駝背或無精打采地彎腰，姿勢較不優雅。
bow vs nod
「bow」涉及整個上半身（尤其是腰部）的彎曲動作；「nod」則僅是頭部上下點動，常用於打招呼、同意或示意。
口語用法
How is "Bow" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Bow"?
引述
當重述或引述他人動作時，常用來描述點頭或鞠躬的姿態。 EN: He just bowed and walked away without a word. 翻譯: 他只是鞠了個躬，一句話也沒說就走了。
EN:She said she bowed to the audience after the performance.
翻譯:她說她在表演結束後向觀眾鞠了躬。
語氣強調
在口語中，常與副詞連用，強調鞠躬的深度、方式或態度。 EN: You have to bow deeply to show proper respect. 翻譯: 你必須深深鞠躬才能表達適當的敬意。
EN:He reluctantly bowed to the inevitable outcome.
翻譯:他勉強地向無可避免的結果低頭了。
停頓填充
在描述讓步或順從時，作為句子中的停頓點，帶有無奈或順應的語氣。 EN: Well, I guess we'll just have to bow to their decision. 翻譯: 嗯，我想我們也只能接受他們的決定了。
EN:In the end, they had to bow to public pressure.
翻譯:到最後，他們不得不向公眾壓力低頭。
正式書寫注意：在正式或學術寫作中，應避免使用口語化的副詞組合（如 "just bowed"、"had to bow"），建議改用更精確的動詞（如 "acquiesced"、"conceded"、"made a formal bow"）來描述讓步或鞠躬的具體行為，以保持語言的嚴謹性。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Bow"?What fixed phrases with "Bow" should I remember?
bow down
bow down (to somebody/something)
向某人/某物鞠躬或跪拜，表示尊敬或順從
bow out
bow out (of something)
優雅地退出（比賽、職位、活動等）
bow before
bow before somebody/something
向某人/某物鞠躬（表示尊敬或屈服）
bow one's head
bow one's head
低下頭（表示尊敬、祈禱、羞愧或順從）
bow to pressure
bow to pressure/demands
屈服於壓力/要求
bow gratefully
bow gratefully/appreciatively
感激地鞠躬
bow deeply
bow deeply/low
深深鞠躬
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Bow"?Which "Bow" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×He gave a deep bow to the audience.
✓He gave a deep bow to the audience.
This is actually correct. The confusion is that learners often think 'bow' as a verb and 'bow' as a noun are different words. They are the same spelling but different meanings/pronunciations. The verb (to bend) is pronounced /baʊ/, while the noun (a type of knot or a gesture) is pronounced /boʊ/. The mistake is in pronunciation, not spelling.
×They bowed the king.
✓They bowed to the king.
The verb 'bow' meaning to bend the head or body in respect usually requires the preposition 'to' before the person or thing being shown respect.
×The archer will bow the arrow.
✓The archer will draw the bow and shoot the arrow.
Confusing the verb 'bow' (/baʊ/, to bend) with the noun 'bow' (/boʊ/, the weapon). You 'draw' or 'pull' a bow (the weapon). You 'bow' your head or body.
×He bowed his head down.
✓He bowed his head.
The phrase 'bow down' exists but means to submit or show extreme respect (e.g., 'bow down to the emperor'). For the simple physical action, 'bow' is sufficient. 'Bowed his head down' is redundant.
×His request was bowed by the committee.
✓His request was granted (or accepted) by the committee.
'Bow' as a verb (to bend) is not typically used in the passive voice to mean 'agree to' or 'accept'. The correct metaphorical use is active voice: 'The committee bowed to his request.' (meaning they yielded). Using passive here is unnatural.
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Bow"?What are tense/participle forms of "Bow"?
bows(3rd_singular)bowing(present_participle)bowed(past)bowed(past_participle)