故 meaning and stroke order
Happening; instance; reason
How to write 故, stroke by stroke
9 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
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
Meaning of 故
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- happening
- instance
- reason
- cause
- intentional
- former
How 故 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Tap.
攵 gives the meaning and 古 hints at the sound.
Radical: 攵 (to rap), shared by 36 characters on this site.
How to remember 故
故 is pictophonetic: 古 (gǔ, old) on the left gives the sound, and 攵 (a tapping hand) on the right gives the meaning. Picture a hand tapping on something old to ask what happened before, which links to "former" and "reason, cause."
故 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It mostly appears in words like 故事 (gùshi, story), 故意 (gùyì, on purpose), 故乡 (gùxiāng, hometown) and 事故 (shìgù, accident). Example: 他不是故意的。(Tā bú shì gùyì de.) He didn't do it on purpose.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 故 (gù) with 古 (gǔ, ancient). They share a component and sound similar, but 古 has third tone and no 攵 on the right. Another trap is 故事: in everyday speech the 事 is usually read in the neutral tone, gùshi.
Common words with 故
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 故事 | gùshi | old practice | HSK 2 |
| 故意 | gùyì | deliberately; on purpose | HSK 2 |
| 事故 | shìgù | accident | HSK 3 |
| 故乡 | gùxiāng | home; homeland | HSK 3 |
| 故障 | gùzhàng | malfunction; breakdown | HSK 6 |
| 缘故 | yuángù | reason; cause | HSK 6 |
| 无故 | wúgù | without cause or reason | HSK 7-9 |
| 世故 | shìgu | the ways of the world | HSK 7-9 |
| 无缘无故 | wúyuánwúgù | (idiom) no cause or reason; completely uncalled for | |
| 已故 | yǐgù | the late; deceased | |
| 何故 | hégù | what for?; what's the reason? | |
| 童话故事 | tónghuàgùshì | fairy tale | |
| 鬼故事 | guǐgùshi | ghost story | |
| 意外事故 | yìwàishìgù | accident |
故 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 故
Learning 故 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 故
How many strokes are in 故?
故 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 故 mean?
故 (gù) means happening; instance; reason. A common word with it is 故事 (gùshi), meaning "old practice".
How do you pronounce 故?
故 is pronounced gù, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 故?
The radical of 故 is 攵, which carries the idea of "to rap". Dictionaries list 故 under this radical.
Is 故 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 故 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 事故 and 故事?
The same two characters in a different order give different words. 事故 (shìgù) means an accident, such as a traffic accident. 故事 (gùshi) means a story.
Can 故 mean "therefore"?
Yes. In formal or written Chinese, 故 can link a cause and its result, much like 所以 (suǒyǐ). For example, 天雨，故未出门 means "It rained, so I did not go out." In casual speech people use 所以 instead.