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故意 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
故意gùyìdeliberatelyHSK 4, d, 22 strokes, rank #1520, Medium
故意gùyìon purposeHSK 4, d, 22 strokes, rank #1520, Medium
gùyì(gu4yi4)gu yi T4
  1. 1deliberately
  2. 2on purpose
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March 24, 2026

故意gùyì(gu4yi4)

故意 (gù yì) means to do something deliberately or on purpose, emphasizing intention behind an action. It is commonly used in contexts where someone's actions are intentional rather than accidental, often carrying a negative connotation when referring to mischief or wrongdoing.

Strokes22Frequency#1520DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of intention is significant, especially in moral discussions. People often scrutinize whether actions are performed 故意, reflecting a deeper examination of ethics and responsibility in interpersonal relationships.

Memory Tip

Think of '故意' as a 'goal' (故 - gù) with 'intention' (意 - yì). Imagine a character in a story who always has a specific goal in mind, making plans on purpose—this helps connect the idea of intentionality with the pronunciation 'gù yì'.

Meanings of 故意

gùyì(gu4yi4)
1deliberately
2on purpose
Exercise 1 of 2

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About 故意

故意Simplified
22Strokes
—Radical
副词fùcíadverb (adv.)Part of Speech
#1520Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L4HSK 3.0L4ElementaryTOCFLL2YCTL3HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 故意

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Podcast: 故意

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AI Study Notes for 故意

Quick Contrast

故意 (gù yì) vs 有意 (yǒu yì) — use 故意 when emphasizing intentionality with a negative connotation, while 有意 implies intention without the negative context.

Usage Notes

Be cautious not to confuse 故意 with the similar-sounding words that imply unintentional actions, such as '无意' (wú yì). This term is primarily used in informal contexts, but can also appear in formal discussions about behavior, especially in legal or moral contexts.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 4 word, 故意 connects with other words related to intention and action, such as '目的' (mù dì, purpose) and '计划' (jì huà, plan). Focus on using it in sentences that express clear motives or intentions.

Common Mistakes

Learners often misuse 故意 by confusing it with similar expressions. For example, saying '我无意这样做' (wǒ wú yì zhè yàng zuò) instead of '我故意这样做' (wǒ gù yì zhè yàng zuò) changes the meaning from 'I did this unintentionally' to 'I did this intentionally.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 故意

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Component Characters

故gùhappening
HSK 79 strokes攵
View full entry
意yìItaly
HSK 313 strokes心
View full entry

How to say deliberately in Chinese

“deliberately” in Chinese is故意gùyì

故意 (gù yì) means to do something deliberately or on purpose, emphasizing intention behind an action. It is commonly used in contexts where someone's actions are intentional rather than accidental, often carrying a negative connotation when referring to mischief or wrongdoing.

When to use 故意

Be cautious not to confuse 故意 with the similar-sounding words that imply unintentional actions, such as '无意' (wú yì). This term is primarily used in informal contexts, but can also appear in formal discussions about behavior, especially in legal or moral contexts.

故意 or something close to it

故意 (gù yì) vs 有意 (yǒu yì) — use 故意 when emphasizing intentionality with a negative connotation, while 有意 implies intention without the negative context.

What learners get wrong

Learners often misuse 故意 by confusing it with similar expressions. For example, saying '我无意这样做' (wǒ wú yì zhè yàng zuò) instead of '我故意这样做' (wǒ gù yì zhè yàng zuò) changes the meaning from 'I did this unintentionally' to 'I did this intentionally.'

Write 故意

故
意

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

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Grammar Patterns of 故意

故意 functions as an adverb — it modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. In Chinese, adverbs sit BEFORE the verb they modify (我也去, 他常常迟到), never after it. It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons1
Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

他____提高声音。

He deliberately raised his voice.

Example Sentences for 故意 (10)

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1
为了故意作对而继续这样做是不对的。

wéi le gù yì zuò duì ér jì xù zhè yàng zuò shì bù duì de。

It would be wrong to continue out of perversity.
2
人们认为这些袭击是为了故意破坏会谈。

rén mén rèn wéi zhè xiē xí jī shì wéi le gù yì pò huài huì tán。

These attacks are seen as an effort to torpedo the talks.
3
公民抗命，不管是暴力还是非暴力的，都是故意犯法。

gōng mín kàng mìng， ， bù guǎn shì bào lì huán shì fēi bào lì， de ， dū shì gù yì。

Civil disobedience, violent or non-violent, is intentional law breaking.
4
我不是故意要打断他的鼻梁。我只是一时气急。

wǒ bù shì gù yì yào dǎ duàn tā de bí liáng。 。 wǒ zhī shì yī shí qì。

I didn't mean to break his nose. I just saw red.
5
他在第32分钟时因故意手球犯规被罚下场。

tā zài dì32 32 fēn zhōng shí yīn gù yì shǒu qiú fàn guī bèi fá xià。

He got sent off for deliberate handball in the 32nd minute.
6
他说：“我从未故意将任何病人置于不必要的风险境地。”

tā shuō：“ ：“ wǒ cóng wèi gù yì jiāng rèn hé bìng rén zhì yú bù bì yào de fēng xiǎn jìng。”

"I have never knowingly exposed any patient to needless risks," he said.
7
“自由新闻”组织再次故意不去突出强调这些事实。

“ “ zì yóu xīn” wén ” zǔ zhī zài cì gù yì bù qù tū chū qiáng tiáo zhè xiē。

Once again, the "Free Press" prefers not to highlight these facts.
8
韦斯特对发生的虐待行为故意视而不见。

wéi sī tè duì fā shēng de nüè dài háng wéi gù yì shì ér bù jiàn。

West was wilfully blind to the abuse that took place.
9
我想得到她，但她却故意装出不感兴趣的样子。

wǒ xiǎng dé dào tā， ， dàn tā què gù yì zhuāng chū bù gǎn xīng qù de yàng。

I wanted her and she was playing hard to get.
10
你是不是故意把你的狗丢在这里呢？

nǐ shì bù shì gù yì bǎ nǐ de gǒu diū zài zhè lǐ ne？

Did you mean to leave your dog here?

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Frequently Asked Questions about 故意

You can say, '他故意迟到' (Tā gù yì chí dào), meaning 'He is deliberately late.'

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