躬

1. The physical body, specifically the torso or frame. It often denotes the body as a site of posture (such as bending, stooping, or inclining) or as an instrument of action.

2. Personal agency: performing an action "personally," "in person," or "by one's own hand" without delegation.

Functions as an adverbial modifier when placed before a verb (e.g., 躬行), indicating that the actor is directly and unmediatedly involved in the action.

Contrast with 身: while 身 generally refers to identity, existence, or the body as a whole, 躬 emphasizes physical application, posture, or exertion.

Fanqie reading: 居戎; Tang-period reading: giung.

U+8EB3 is a graphical variant and does not signal a shift in meaning.

Because of its association with bending or stooping, the glyph often carries an undercurrent of humility, devotion, or diligence—the act of "bending oneself" to a task.