古 meaning and stroke order
Ancient; old; paleo-
How to write 古, stroke by stroke
5 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Meaning of 古
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- ancient
- old
- paleo-
How 古 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Words passing through ten 十 mouths 口.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 古
古 is ten 十 on top of a mouth 口. Picture a story passed through ten mouths, one generation after another, until it becomes something ancient.
古 usually appears in compound words rather than alone, as in 古代 (gǔdài, ancient times), 古老 (gǔlǎo, ancient) and 古典 (gǔdiǎn, classical). It describes things from the distant past, not just things that are a bit old. Example: 这是一座古老的城市。(Zhè shì yí zuò gǔlǎo de chéngshì.) This is an ancient city.
Common mistake: Learners often use 古 for everyday old things, but an old phone or an old friend is 旧 (jiù) or 老 (lǎo), not 古. Also do not confuse 古 with 吉 (jí, lucky), which has 士 on top instead of 十.
Common words with 古
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 古代 | gǔdài | ancient times | HSK 3 |
| 古老 | gǔlǎo | ancient; old | HSK 5 |
| 古典 | gǔdiǎn | classical | HSK 6 |
| 古怪 | gǔguài | strange; weird | HSK 7-9 |
| 古董 | gǔdǒng | curio; antique | HSK 7-9 |
| 古人 | gǔrén | people of ancient times; the ancients | HSK 7-9 |
| 古迹 | gǔjì | place of historic interest; historical site | HSK 7-9 |
| 古朴 | gǔpǔ | simple and unadorned (of art, architecture etc) | HSK 7-9 |
| 古今中外 | gǔjīn-zhōngwài | at all times and in all places (idiom) | HSK 7-9 |
| 前无古人 | qiánwúgǔrén | (idiom) unprecedented; unheard of | HSK 7-9 |
| 万古长青 | wàngǔ-chángqīng | (idiom) enduring through the ages; ever-flourishing | HSK 7-9 |
| 远古 | yuǎngǔ | antiquity; ancient times | |
| 考古学家 | kǎogǔxuéjiā | archaeologist | |
| 古城 | gǔchéng | ancient city |
古 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 古
Learning 古 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 古
How many strokes are in 古?
古 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 古 mean?
古 (gǔ) means ancient; old; paleo-. A common word with it is 古代 (gǔdài), meaning "ancient times".
How do you pronounce 古?
古 is pronounced gǔ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 古?
The radical of 古 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 古 under this radical.
Is 古 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 古 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
Why does 古怪 mean strange if 古 means ancient?
In 古怪 (gǔguài), 古 gives a sense of odd or out of the ordinary, like something from another time. The whole word simply means strange or eccentric, as in 他脾气很古怪 (tā píqi hěn gǔguài), he has a weird temper.
What characters use 古 as a component?
古 appears in many common characters, often as a sound hint, such as 故 (gù, reason; former), 苦 (kǔ, bitter), 姑 (gū, aunt), 固 (gù, solid) and 估 (gū, estimate). Spotting 古 can help you guess the pronunciation.