Dictionary › 古

古

gǔ

HSK 5 Character

What 古 means

1. ancient
2. old
3. paleo-

Other readings

古 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• Gǔsurname Gu

Example sentences

• 他爱古兰经。
  He loved the Quran.
• 罗马是座古城。
  Luómǎ shì zuò gǔchéng.
  Rome is an old city.
• 这是一座古城。
  Zhè shì yī zuò gǔchéng.
  This is a historic city.
• 他的性情古怪。
  Tā de xìngqíng gǔguài.
  He's a strange character.
• 肯收集古钱币。
  Ken collects old coins.
• 好啦，老古董。
  OK, boomer.

Words starting with 古

• 古代gǔ dàiancient times
• 古老gǔ lǎoancient; old; age-old
• 古典gǔ diǎnclassical
• 古怪gǔ guàistrange; weird; eccentric
• 古董gǔ dǒngcurio; antique
• 古城gǔ chéngancient city
• 古人gǔ rénpeople of ancient times; the ancients; extinct human species such as Homo erectus or Homo…
• 古朴gǔ pǔsimple and unadorned (of art, architecture etc)
• 古今gǔ jīnthen and now; ancient and modern
• 古巴Gǔ bāCuba
• 古文gǔ wénold language; the Classics; Classical Chinese as a literary model, esp. in Tang and Song…
• 古迹gǔ jìplace of historic interest; historical site
• 古希腊gǔ Xī làancient Greece
• 古诗gǔ shīold verse; Classical Chinese poem
• 古玩gǔ wánantique; curio
• 古籍gǔ jíancient text; antique books
• 古道gǔ dàoancient road; precepts of the antiquity
• 古都gǔ dūancient capital
• 古堡gǔ bǎoancient castle
• 古兰经Gǔ lán jīngthe Koran
• 古罗马gǔ Luó mǎancient Rome
• 古旧gǔ jiùarchaic
• 古书gǔ shūancient book; old book
• 古色古香gǔ sè gǔ xiānginteresting and appealing (of old locations, objects etc)

Words containing 古

• 考古kǎo gǔarchaeology; to engage in archaeological studies
• 蒙古Měng gǔMongolia; Mongol ethnic group
• 自古zì gǔ(since) ancient times; (from) time immemorial
• 千古qiān gǔfor all eternity; throughout all ages; eternity…
• 蒙古人Měng gǔ rénMongol
• 远古yuǎn gǔantiquity; ancient times
• 自古以来zì gǔ yǐ láisince ancient times
• 复古fù gǔto return to old ways (a Confucian aspiration); to turn back the clock…
• 考古学家kǎo gǔ xué jiāarchaeologist
• 蒙古族Měng gǔ zúMongol ethnic group
• 稀奇古怪xī qí gǔ guài(idiom) crazy; bizarre; weird; fantastic; strange
• 名胜古迹míng shèng gǔ jìhistorical sites and scenic spots
• 上古shàng gǔthe distant past; ancient times; antiquity
• 仿古fǎng gǔpseudo-classical; modeled on antique; in the old style
• 太古tài gǔimmemorial
• 名古屋Míng gǔ wūNagoya, city in Japan
• 中古zhōng gǔmedieval; Middle Ages; Chinese middle antiquity, 3rd to 9th centuries, including Sui and…
• 考古学kǎo gǔ xuéarchaeology
• 盘古Pán gǔPangu (creator of the universe in Chinese mythology)
• 亘古gèn gǔthroughout time; from ancient times (up to the present)
• 蒙古包měng gǔ bāoyurt
• 怀古huái gǔto recall the past; to cherish the memory of past events; to reminisce
• 博古Bó GǔBo Gu (1907-1946), Soviet-trained Chinese Communist, journalist and propagandist, 1930s…
• 前无古人qián wú gǔ rén(idiom) unprecedented; unheard of

Characters that look like 古

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 吉jílucky; giga- (meaning billion or 10^9)
• 寺sìBuddhist temple; mosque; government office (old)
• 舌shétongue
• 玄xuánblack; mysterious

Sounds the same

Read gǔ, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 股thigh; part of a whole; portion of a sum; (finance) stock; share
• 鼓drum; to drum; to strike
• 骨bone
• 谷grain; corn
• 贾merchant; to buy
• 汩confused; extinguished; (onomatopoeia) used in 汩汩
• 蛊arch. legendary venomous insect; to poison; to bewitch
• 牯bullock; cow
• 钴(chemistry) cobalt (Taiwan pr. gū); used in 钴𬭁gǔ mǔ
• 鹘used in 鹘鸼
• 瞽blind; undiscerning
• 诂to comment; to explain