古 gǔ old

源How it came to be

The old dictionary reads it as what ten mouths have handed on: ten drawn over a mouth. Whatever survives ten tellings is old.

用How it is used

• Adjective/bound root for "ancient, from long ago" - historically old, not "old" as in aged or worn.
• Different from 老 lǎo, which means old in the sense of a person's age or something worn out by time; 古 specifically points back to antiquity/history.
• 古代 gǔdài "ancient times" and 古老 gǔlǎo "ancient, age-old" (of civilizations, traditions) are the core words; 考古 kǎogǔ "archaeology" is the field name.
• 古怪 gǔguài "strange, eccentric" is a separate, unrelated-feeling extension meaning "odd", not "ancient".

字Characters built with 古

• 做 do
• 据 according to
• 故 former
• 居 to live
• 苦 bitter
• 剧 theatrical plays
• 估 to estimate
• 姑 aunt
• 固 to solidify
• 枯 dried out
• 咕 mumble
• 菇 mushroom
• 辜 crime

词Words with 古

• 古代gǔdàiancient timesHSK 5
• 古老gǔlǎoancientHSK 5
• 古人gǔrénpeople of ancient timesHSK 6
• 古典gǔdiǎnclassicalHSK 6
• 古迹gǔjìplaces of historic interestHSK 6
• 考古kǎogǔarchaeologyHSK 6
• 前无古人qiánwúgǔrénunprecedentedHSK 8
• 古今中外gǔjīn-zhōngwàiat all times and in all places (idiom)HSK 8
• 古怪gǔguàistrangeHSK 8
• 古朴gǔpǔsimple and unadornedHSK 8
• 古籍gǔjíancient textHSK 8
• 古董gǔdǒngcurioHSK 8