谷 meaning and stroke order
Valley, gorge, ravine
How to write 谷, stroke by stroke
7 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
Meaning of 谷
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- grain
- corn
- valley
How 谷 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Water flowing 人 from a spring 口 through a valley 八.
How to remember 谷
Picture a spring as the mouth 口 at the bottom, with water 人 flowing out and the two slopes 八 opening above it. That opening between hills is a valley.
谷 appears in words for valleys like 山谷 (shāngǔ) and 峡谷 (xiágǔ), and also in grain words like 谷物 (gǔwù), because simplified 谷 now covers the old character 穀. It is also used figuratively for a low point, as in 低谷 (dīgǔ). Example: 经济走出了低谷。(Jīngjì zǒu chū le dīgǔ.) The economy has come out of its low point.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 谷 with 容 (róng, to contain), which is 谷 with a roof 宀 on top. Also watch the top: it is 八 followed by 人, so the strokes spread apart like two slopes rather than forming a closed shape.
Common words with 谷
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
谷 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 谷
Learning 谷 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 谷
How many strokes are in 谷?
谷 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 谷 mean?
谷 (gǔ) means valley, gorge, ravine. A common word with it is 山谷 (shāngǔ), meaning "valley; ravine".
How do you pronounce 谷?
谷 is pronounced gǔ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the traditional form of 谷?
The traditional form of 谷 is 穀. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 谷 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 谷 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 谷 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
Why does 谷 mean both valley and grain?
In traditional writing these were two characters: 谷 for valley and 穀 for grain. Simplified Chinese merged them into 谷, so context tells you which meaning is intended.
What does 谷 mean in 布谷?
布谷 (bùgǔ) is the cuckoo, named after the sound of its call. The word is also heard as a reminder to sow grain in spring, but in everyday use it simply names the bird.