Chinese symbol for “crossbow”
弩
nǔ
crossbow
The closest CC-CEDICT match for crossbow is 弩 (nǔ), defined as: crossbow.
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Characters and stroke order
Other Chinese words for “crossbow”
Related words
Other words that share a character with 弩.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 剑拔弩张 (劍拔弩張) | jiàn bá nǔ zhāng | lit. with swords drawn and bows bent (idiom); fig. a state of mutual hostility; at daggers drawn |
| 弓弩 | gōng nǔ | bow and crossbow |
| 强弩之末 (強弩之末) | qiáng nǔ zhī mò | (lit.) an arrow at the end of its flight (idiom); (fig.) spent force |
| 弩弓 | nǔ gōng | crossbow |
| 弓弩手 | gōng nǔ shǒu | crossbow shooter |
| 弩炮 (弩砲) | nǔ pào | catapult; ballista (siege catapult firing stone blocks) |
See also: Japanese symbol for “crossbow”.
Data: CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0); Unihan Database (Unicode License v3); Make Me a Hanzi (Arphic Public License (graphics.txt); LGPL-3.0-or-later (dictionary.txt)); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.