Meaning of 够
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- enough (sufficient)
- enough (too much)
- (coll.) (before adj.) really
- (coll.) to reach by stretching out
How to use 够
够 is often used as a verb meaning "to be enough," as in 钱不够 (qián bú gòu), "there isn't enough money." It can also mean "to have had enough" or, before an adjective, "really," for example 今天够冷的 (jīntiān gòu lěng de), "It's really cold today."
够 (gòu) is built from 句 (jù) on the left and 多 (duō, many) on the right. Think of it as having many sentences, more than you need, so you have enough.
Common mistake: Learners often put 够 before a noun the English way, saying 我有够钱 for "I have enough money." Natural Chinese puts 够 after the noun: 我的钱够了 (wǒ de qián gòu le) or 钱够用 (qián gòu yòng).
够 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
够 gòu · enough · 11 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 够.
Questions about 够
What does 够 mean?
够 (gòu) means "enough (sufficient); enough (too much)" and is used as a verb and adverb.
How do you write 够?
够 is made of 1 character: 够 (11 strokes). That is 11 strokes in total.
Is 够 an HSK word?
Yes. 够 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 够 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 够 is written 夠.
What is the difference between 够 and 足够?
Both mean enough. 足够 (zúgòu) sounds a bit more formal and can come before a noun, as in 足够的时间 (zúgòu de shíjiān), "enough time." 够 alone is more casual and usually comes after the thing being counted.
What does 够了 mean when someone says it on its own?
够了 (gòu le) can simply mean "that's enough, thanks," for example when someone is serving you food. Said sharply, it means "Stop it, I've had enough," so tone of voice matters.