弯曲 (wān qū) is a compound word meaning 'curved' (adjective) or 'to curve' (verb). The first character 弯 (wān) means 'to bend' or 'bend', often implying physical deformation or turning; the second character 曲 (qū) means 'bent', 'crooked', or 'curved', and carries a sense of deviation from straightness. Together, they emphasize a smooth, non-angular arc—unlike 折 (zhé), which suggests a sharp angle or break. 弯曲 is commonly used to describe natural or gentle curvatures: animal horns, river courses, roads, or spinal posture.

This word appears frequently in scientific, medical, and descriptive contexts—for example, discussing the curvature of the spine (脊柱弯曲), the bent shape of antelope horns, or the winding path of a mountain road. It can function attributively before a noun (e.g., 弯曲的道路) or predicatively after a subject (e.g., 这条路弯曲). As a verb, it's usually used with an object or in a serial verb construction (e.g., 把铁丝弯曲成圆形).