弓 is a side view of an unstrung bow — the curved bow-stave became the character directly. Some oracle-bone forms drew the string too, but gradually only the stave remained.

Mandarin: gōng, level 1st tone. 弓箭 (gōngjiàn, bow and arrow), 弹弓 (dàngōng, slingshot), 弓形 (gōngxíng, arch-shaped / arc). It also serves as a surname.

Japanese: on-reading キュウ (kyū), kun ゆみ (yumi). 弓 (yumi, bow), 弓道 (kyūdō, the way of the bow / archery), 弓矢 (yumiya, bow and arrow), 洋弓 (yōkyū, Western archery). Japanese 弓道 (kyūdō) developed into a spiritual discipline fused with Zen.

Korean hanja-sound "gung": 弓道 (gungdo, archery), 弓手 (gungsu, archer), 洋弓 (yanggung, Western archery), 名弓 (myeonggung, a master archer).

As a radical it marks bows and pulling — 引 (to pull), 張 (to stretch), 強 (strong), 弱 (weak), 弾 (bullet). The character 引 seen earlier is precisely this bow (弓) with a drawing stroke added.

Memory aid: a single unstrung bow-stave — the side profile of a curved bow.