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徂 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
徂cúto advance, to go; to; dieg, 8 strokes, radical 彳
徂cúto reachunknown, 8 strokes, radical 彳
cú(cu2) T2
  1. 1to advance, to go; to; die
  2. 2to reach
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

徂cú(cu2)

The character 徂 (cú) generally means 'to advance' or 'to go,' often indicating a direction or movement toward a goal. It can also imply a sense of progression or reaching a destination. This character is less commonly used in modern Mandarin, often appearing in classical texts or in specific phrases.

Strokes8Radical彳
Cultural Note

In Chinese literature, the notion of advancing or going forward is often tied to philosophical ideas of progress and development, reflecting cultural values around perseverance and aspiration.

Memory Tip

Imagine a figure walking toward a mountain in the distance, representing 'advancing' or 'going.' The left side (彳) resembles a person walking, while the right side (古) can remind you of something ancient or traditional, linking it to the journey of history.

Meanings of 徂

cú(cu2)
1to advance, to go; to; die
2to reach
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 徂

徂Simplified
8Strokes
彳Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 徂

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Podcast: 徂

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AI Study Notes for 徂

Usage Notes

Though 徂 can be used in various contexts, it is often found in literary or historical texts rather than in everyday speech. Learners should be cautious of using it in informal settings and should familiarize themselves with phrases that include this character to understand its proper usage.

HSK Study Tips

Since 徂 is not commonly included in HSK vocabulary lists, it is important for students to focus on its usage in classical literature and phrases. Understanding this character may enhance comprehension of older texts and idiomatic expressions that contain it.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 徂 with similar characters like 去 (qù), which also means 'to go.' A common mistake is saying '我去' (wǒ qù) when they intend to use a more formal or literary context where 徂 would be appropriate. The correction would be to use the right context for each character.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 徂

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Etymology of 徂

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

step

Semantic (meaning)彳
+
Phonetic (sound)且
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 徂

  1. 1The meaning half彳 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half且 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaystep
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 徂? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 徂?

Decomposition of 徂

IDS Structure⿰彳且
徂Full Character
=
彳chi4
left
且qie3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 徂?

How to say to advance, to go; to; die in Chinese

“to advance, to go; to; die” in Chinese is徂cú

The character 徂 (cú) generally means 'to advance' or 'to go,' often indicating a direction or movement toward a goal. It can also imply a sense of progression or reaching a destination. This character is less commonly used in modern Mandarin, often appearing in classical texts or in specific phrases.

When to use 徂

Though 徂 can be used in various contexts, it is often found in literary or historical texts rather than in everyday speech. Learners should be cautious of using it in informal settings and should familiarize themselves with phrases that include this character to understand its proper usage.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 徂 with similar characters like 去 (qù), which also means 'to go.' A common mistake is saying '我去' (wǒ qù) when they intend to use a more formal or literary context where 徂 would be appropriate. The correction would be to use the right context for each character.

Write 徂

徂

Practice writing 徂 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 徂

Words Containing This Character1
徂cúto go
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 徂 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 徂

No, 徂 is primarily found in classical texts and is not commonly used in contemporary speech.

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