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March 24, 2026
古gǔ(gu3)
The character '古' (gǔ) means 'ancient' or 'old.' It is often used to describe something that is from a long time ago or has historical significance. In contexts like literature, it can refer to classical works or traditions.
Strokes5Radical口Frequency#3062DifficultyHard
Cultural note
'古' is commonly seen in Chinese historical contexts, such as ancient texts, philosophies, and traditions. The concept of venerating ancient wisdom is significant in Chinese culture, reflecting respect for history.
Memory tip
Imagine a wise old sage sitting under an ancient tree, representing the character '古.' The left part of the character looks like a tree (木), symbolizing age, while the right side hints at antiquity. Picture 'gǔ' as the sound of the sage's deep voice recounting old tales.
Meanings of 古
gǔ(gu3)
1ancient
2old
Exercise 1 of 3
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About 古
古Simplified
5Strokes
口Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#3062Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L5ElementaryTOCFLL3YCTL4HSKKL2CEFRA2
Podcast: 古
Podcast: 古
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AI study notes for 古
Quick Contrast
古 (gǔ, ancient) vs 老 (lǎo, old) — use 古 for historical or classical contexts, while 老 is more general and can refer to age in people or things.
Usage Notes
Be mindful of using '古' appropriately in context; it is more formal and often appears in written language. Common collocations include '古代' (gǔdài - ancient times) and '古典' (gǔdiǎn - classical). Avoid confusing it with '老' (lǎo), which is more casual.
HSK Study Tips
Although '古' is not in the official HSK levels, it connects well with other words describing time and history. Focus on its usage in compound words and phrases that relate to history and culture, enhancing vocabulary related to past events.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse '古' with '老' (old) when describing people. For instance, saying '他很古' (He is very ancient) is incorrect; it should be '他很老' (He is very old).
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 古
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The character '古' (gǔ) means 'ancient' or 'old.' It is often used to describe something that is from a long time ago or has historical significance. In contexts like literature, it can refer to classical works or traditions.
When to use 古
Be mindful of using '古' appropriately in context; it is more formal and often appears in written language. Common collocations include '古代' (gǔdài - ancient times) and '古典' (gǔdiǎn - classical). Avoid confusing it with '老' (lǎo), which is more casual.
古 or something close to it
古 (gǔ, ancient) vs 老 (lǎo, old) — use 古 for historical or classical contexts, while 老 is more general and can refer to age in people or things.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse '古' with '老' (old) when describing people. For instance, saying '他很古' (He is very ancient) is incorrect; it should be '他很老' (He is very old).
Write 古
古
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Grammar patterns of 古
古 functions as an adjective. In Chinese it behaves like a stative verb: place it directly after the subject without 是 (我很高，not 我是高). Use 不 to negate (不高) and pair it with 很 in plain affirmative sentences. It carries 5 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.
Lead was one of the metals known to the ancient world.
10
他拉黄包车，这可能是人类最古老的载客服务形式了。
tā lā huáng bāo chē， zhè kěnéng shì rénlèi zuì gǔlǎo de zǎi kèfú wù xíngshì le。
He pulls a rickshaw, probably the oldest form of human taxi service.
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Word Family of 古
Compounds36
克kèto be able to
故gùhappening
苦kǔbitter
居jīsurname Ju
胡húsurname Hu
姑gūpaternal aunt
估gūestimate
固gùhard
辜gūsurname Gu
咕gūmumble, mutter, murmur; rumble
枯kūdried up
骷kūskeleton
沽gūto buy and sell; of inferior quality
钴gǔcobalt; clothes-iron
轱gūwheel; to revolve, to turn
鸪gūspecies of Taiwan pigeon
怙hùto rely on; to presume; father (formal)
嘏gǔfelicity, prosperity; large and strong
岵hùa wooded hill
牯gǔcow, steer
祜hùblessings, happiness, prosperity
罟gǔnet, snare; to implicate
蛄gūmole cricket
诂gǔexplanation; to comment, to explain
跍kū
酤gūto sell liquor
呄gé
怘hù
狜kǔ
瓳hú
秙kù
詁gǔ
軲gūwheel; to revolve, to turn
鈷gǔcobalt; clothes-iron
鮕gū
鴣gūspecies of Taiwan pigeon
Words containing this character20
古gǔold
古怪gǔguàieccentric
古巴gǔbāCuba
古老gǔlǎoancient
古代gǔdàiancient times
古典gǔdiǎnclassical
古董gǔdǒngcurio
蒙古měnggǔMongolia
复古fùgǔto turn back the clock復古
内蒙古nèiměnggǔInner Mongolia內蒙古
古人gǔrénthe ancients
考古kǎogǔarchaeology
古城gǔchéngancient city
远古yuǎngǔantiquity遠古
考古学家kǎogǔxuéjiāarchaeologist考古學家
自古zìgǔ(since) ancient times
古板gǔbǎnoutmoded
古墓gǔmùold tomb (archaeology)
古迹gǔjìhistorical sites古蹟
古装gǔzhuāngancient costume古裝
Exercise 1 of 4
Characters with 古
What does 克 mean?
Frequently asked questions about 古
古 (gǔ) refers specifically to something ancient or historical, while 老 (lǎo) means 'old' in a more general sense, often used to describe age. For instance, you would use 老 for people or everyday objects, whereas 古 is reserved for things with historical context.
Yes, 古 (gǔ) is a recognized surname in China, though not as common as some others. It is one of the many surnames that people may encounter in Chinese culture.
古 (gǔ) means 'ancient' or 'old' in Chinese. It is often used to describe something that is from a long time ago or has historical significance. Additionally, it can be used as a surname.
You can use 古 (gǔ) in a sentence to refer to ancient times or artifacts, such as in '古代文化' (gǔdài wénhuà), which means 'ancient culture.' It can also be used to describe old objects or traditions.
'古' can be used in sentences like '这本书是古代的.' (This book is ancient.)
'古' typically refers to things that are significantly old or historically relevant, rather than just anything old.
Common phrases include '古典音乐' (classical music) and '古玩' (antiques).
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