故

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word 故. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word 故, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say 故 in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word 故 you have here. The definition of the word 故 will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of故, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
故 U+6545, 故
CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-6545
← 敄
 		CJK Unified Ideographs 敆 →

Translingual

Stroke order
9 strokes

Han character

故 (Kangxi radical 66, 攴+5, 9 strokes, cangjie input 十口人大 (JROK), four-corner 48640, composition ⿰古攵)

Derived characters

References

  • Kangxi Dictionary: page 469, character 25
  • Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 13161
  • Dae Jaweon: page 820, character 5
  • Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1453, character 5
  • Unihan data for U+6545

Chinese

simp. and trad.
 故

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 故
Western Zhou Spring and Autumn Warring States Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions Bronze inscriptions Chu slip and silk script Small seal script Transcribed ancient scripts
Characters in the same phonetic series (古) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 
Old Chinese
箇 *kaːls
個 *kaːls
居 *kɯ, *kas
橭 *kaː, *kʰaː
嫴 *kaː
姑 *kaː
辜 *kaː
酤 *kaː, *kaːs, *ɡaːʔ
蛄 *kaː
鴣 *kaː
沽 *kaː, *kaːʔ, *kaːs
盬 *kaː, *kaːʔ
古 *kaːʔ
罟 *kaːʔ
估 *kaːʔ
鈷 *kaːʔ
詁 *kaːʔ
牯 *kaːʔ
故 *kaːs
固 *kaːs
稒 *kaːɡs
痼 *kaːɡs
錮 *kaːɡs
鯝 *kaːɡs
棝 *kaːɡs
凅 *kaːɡs
枯 *kʰaː
軲 *kʰaː
跍 *kʰaː
骷 *kʰaː
苦 *kʰaːʔ, *kʰaːs
葫 *qʰaː, *ɡaː
餬 *ɡaː
瑚 *ɡaː
湖 *ɡaː
鶘 *ɡaː
猢 *ɡaː
醐 *ɡaː
糊 *ɡaː
箶 *ɡaː
蝴 *ɡaː
胡 *ɡaː
瓳 *ɡaː
怙 *ɡaːʔ
祜 *ɡaːʔ
岵 *ɡaːʔ
婟 *ɡaːʔ, *ɡaːɡs
楛 *ɡaːʔ
据 *ka
裾 *ka
琚 *ka
椐 *ka, *kas, *kʰa
鶋 *ka
蜛 *ka
崌 *ka
涺 *ka
腒 *ka, *ɡa
鋸 *kas
倨 *kas
踞 *kas
涸 *ɡaːɡ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *kaːs) : phonetic 古 (OC *kaːʔ) + semantic 攵.

Etymology 1

Derivative of 古 (OC *kaːʔ, “old”). The sense “cause, reason” may be related to (“thing or person of former times”), or the same word as 固 (OC *kaːs, “solid, secure, sure”) (Schuessler 2007, apud Pulleyblank 1989).

Pronunciation

Note: gu7 - “old, original”.
Rime
Character 故
Reading # 1/1
Initial (聲) 見 (28)
Final (韻) 模 (23)
Tone (調) Departing (H)
Openness (開合) Open
Division (等) I
Fanqie 古暮切
Baxter kuH
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang
Shangfang 		/kuoH/
Pan
Wuyun 		/kuoH/
Shao
Rongfen 		/koH/
Edwin
Pulleyblank 		/kɔH/
Li
Rong 		/koH/
Wang
Li 		/kuH/
Bernhard
Karlgren 		/kuoH/
Expected
Mandarin
Reflex 		gù
Expected
Cantonese
Reflex 		gu3
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character 故 故
Reading # 1/2 2/2
Modern
Beijing
(Pinyin) 		gù gù
Middle
Chinese 		‹ kuH › ‹ kuH ›
Old
Chinese 		/*kˁa(ʔ)-s/ /*kˁaʔ-s/
English fact; reason old (not new)

Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:

* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. * as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;

* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character 故
Reading # 1/1
No. 4228
Phonetic
component 		古
Rime
group 		魚
Rime
subdivision 		0
Corresponding
MC rime 		顧
Old
Chinese 		/*kaːs/

Definitions

故

  1. old; of the past
  2. cause; reason
    緣故／缘故  ―  yuángù  ―  reason
  3. accident; misfortune; unexpected event
  4. past things; antiquity
  5. old friend; good friend; close friend
  6. to die; to pass away
    已故  ―  yǐgù  ―  deceased
  7. deceased; dead
  8. formerly; originally
  9. intentionally; deliberately
  10. still; as before
  11. therefore; so
    我思故我在  ―  wǒ sī gù wǒ zài  ―  I think, therefore I am
    故名「北京」  ―  gù míng “běijīng”  ―  hence the name "Northern Capital"
Synonyms
  • (to die):
Dialectal synonyms of 死 (“to die”)
Variety Location Words
Classical Chinese 死, 亡, 歿, 卒
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 死, 死亡, 亡故, 喪生, 喪命, 去世 †, 過世 †, 逝世 †, 離世 †, 下世 †, 不在 †, 過去 †, 仙逝 †, 歸天 †, 歸西 †, 升天 †, 作古 †, 長眠 †, 閉眼 †, 故去 †, ‡, 故世 †, ‡, 一命嗚呼, 謝世, 離開人間
Northeastern Mandarin Beijing 死, 撂, 撂條, 故去 †, 吹燈 †, 吹燈拔蠟 †, 吹臺 †, 老 †, ‡, 踹腿 ¤, 踹腿兒 ¤, 踹 ¤, 回姥姥家 ¤, 彎回去 †, 毛兒提 Hui
Taiwan 死, 過世 †
Harbin 死, 老 †, ‡, 伸腿兒 ¤, 伸腿 ¤, 蹬腿兒 ¤, 奔兒咕 ¤, 桿兒屁 §, 桿兒細 §, 吹燈拔蠟
Singapore 死, 死掉, 死翹翹, 過世 †, 去世 †, 上天堂 †, 賣鹹鴨蛋 †
Jilu Mandarin Jinan 死, 歿, 過去 †, 老 †, ‡, 不在 †, ‡, 王八 §, 完蛋, 完錢, 完活, 無常 Hui, 歸主 Hui, 歸真 Hui
Jiaoliao Mandarin Yantai (Muping) 死, 老 †, ‡, 上西天 §
Central Plains Mandarin Luoyang 死, 過去, 過世, 下世, 亡故, 不在, 升天, 去世 †, 老 †, ‡, 擱那兒 ¤
Wanrong 死, 歿, 老 †, ‡
Xi'an 死, 不在 †, 老 †, ‡, 無常 Hui
Xining 歿
Lanyin Mandarin Yinchuan 死, 走 †, 歿 Hui, 歸真 Hui, 冒提 Hui, 口喚 Hui, 無常 Hui, 完 Hui
Lanzhou 死, 過世 †, 緩下 †, 躺下 †
Ürümqi 死, 過世 †, 不在 †
Southwestern Mandarin Chengdu 死, 過去 †, 不在 †, 去 †, 過世 †, 老 †, ‡, 撬桿兒 §, 撬桿 §, 翹辮子 §, 見馬克思, 歸天, 去陰國, 爬高煙囪, 落氣, 冰凊, 沒脈
Wuhan 死, 過身 †, 去 †, 老 †, ‡, 去回 ¤, 翹辮子 ¤, 翹 ¤, 瓜碼子 ¤, 瓜 ¤, 西皮
Guiyang 死, 過世 †, 成神 †, ‡, 百年歸天 †, ‡, 嗚呼 ¤
Liuzhou 死, 沒得脈, 過世 †, 過身 †, 沒在 †, 哦嚄
Jianghuai Mandarin Nanjing 死, 過世 †, 歸天 †, ‡, 不在 †, 嗝兒得 ¤, 翹辮子 ¤
Yangzhou 死, 不在 †, 走 †, 家去吃去 ¤, 家去 ¤, 翹辮子 ¤, 翹 ¤, 駝條 §
Hefei 死, 不在 †, 老 †
Cantonese Guangzhou 死, 過身 †, 過世 †, 老 †, ‡, 百年歸老 †, ‡, 去別有天 †, ¤, 去大煙筒 †, ¤, 瓜 ¤, 瓜老襯 ¤, 收檔 ¤, 攞竇 ¤, 進竇 §, 瓜竇, 直, 瓜直, 死直, 攤直, 雙腳撐直, 伸直腳, 拉柴, 瓜柴, 褸席, 歸西, 歸天, 食黃泥, 入黃泥窿, 入窿, 玩完, 嫌米貴, 瞇埋眼, 一 argot, 唔食廣東米
Hong Kong 死, 過身 †, 走 †, 香 †, 去 †, 唔喺度 †, 百年歸老 †, 賣鹹鴨蛋 †, 兩腳一伸 †, 仙遊 †, 拜拜 †, 去閻羅王處報到 †, 瓜 ¤, 瓜老襯 ¤, 拉柴, 瓜柴, 釘蓋, 釘, 直, 歸西, 玩完, ham
Hong Kong (San Tin; Weitou) 過身
Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou) 過身
Hong Kong (Ting Kok) 過身, 死
Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau) 過身
Macau 過身, 去
Guangzhou (Panyu) 過身, 死
Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu) 死
Guangzhou (Conghua) 過身, 死
Guangzhou (Zengcheng) 去歸, 過身
Foshan 過身, 死
Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai) 死, 過身
Foshan (Shunde) 過身
Foshan (Sanshui) 過身
Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming) 死
Zhongshan (Shiqi) 過身
Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou) 死
Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka) 過身, 死
Zhuhai (Doumen) 死, 過身
Jiangmen (Baisha) 過身, 死
Jiangmen (Xinhui) 死, 過身
Taishan 死, 善, 去
Kaiping (Chikan) 死, 登仙
Enping (Niujiang) 過身, 死
Heshan (Yayao) 死
Dongguan 死, 老 †, 去返 †, 去舊時嗰處 †, 視埋眼 †, 伸直腳 †, 入罌 †, 拉柴 §, 去大煙筒 §
Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an) 死, 過身
Yangjiang 死, 過輩 †, 老 †, ‡, 老大 †, ‡
Singapore (Guangfu) 死, 過身 †
Gan Nanchang 死, 過世 †, 老 †
Lichuan 死
Pingxiang 死, 過 †, 走路 †, 老 †, ‡, 去
Hakka Meixian 死, 老, 過身 †, 消 †, 老壽 †, ‡
Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua) 過身, 香 †
Dongguan (Qingxi) 過身, 死
Shenzhen (Shatoujiao) 死, 過身
Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui) 死
Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua) 死, 過身
Yudu 死, 過世 †, 過套 †, 過身 †, 轉去 †, 轉該背 †, 歸仙 †, 轉老外婆裡 ¤
Miaoli (N. Sixian) 死, 過身 †, 往生 †, 上神桌 †
Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) 死, 過身 †, 往生 †, 上神桌 †
Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) 死, 過身 †, 往生 †, 上神桌 †
Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) 死, 過身 †, 往生 †, 上神桌 †
Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) 死, 過身 †, 往生 †, 上神桌 †
Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) 死, 過身 †, 上神桌 †
Hong Kong 過身, 老
Huizhou Jixi 死, 過世 †, 過輩 †, 過身 †, 不在 †, 過老 §, 過邊 §, 進棺材 §, 進風水 §, 翹扁 §, ¤
Jin Taiyuan 死, 沒啦 †, 走 †, 過去 †, 老 †, ‡, 老客 †, ‡
Xinzhou 死, 回老家 †, 硬 §, 㞗朝天 of a man, vulgar, 倒蕎麥皮
Northern Min Jian'ou 死, 過身 †, 老 †, ‡
Eastern Min Fuzhou 死, 過去 †, 過世 †, 過後 †, 歸西 †, 百歲 †, 老去 †, ‡, 堯街去 ¤, 堯生去 ¤, 溜翹 ¤, 殂 ¤, 去算米數 ¤, 去外媽食齋 ¤, 去外媽 ¤, 去䁐廬山 ¤, 去厝去 ¤, 睏長暝眠 ¤, 翹齋 ¤, 揭兜去 ¤, 拔直去 ¤, 上天去 ¤, 生去 ¤, 𣪟去 ¤, 䁐松柏樹 ¤, 䁐松柏 ¤, 轉祖 §
Southern Min Xiamen 死, 過身 †, 過氣 †, 百歲 †, 百年 †, 百歲年老 †, 行去 †, 無去 †, 㾀 †, 老去 †, ‡, 老咯 †, ‡, 蟯 ¤, 蟯歹 ¤, 蟯癱 ¤, 行雞 ¤, 馬滴 §
Quanzhou 死, 過身 †, 過氣 †, 百歲 †, 百年 †, 無去 †, 老去 †, ‡, 老咯 †, ‡, 行雞 ¤, 馬滴 §
Zhangzhou 死, 過身 †, 過氣 †, 百歲 †, 百年 †, 百歲年老 †, 行去 †, 無去 †, 起身 †, 老去 †, ‡, 老咯 †, ‡, 蟯 ¤, 蟯歹 ¤, 蟯癱 ¤, 行雞 ¤, 誆牽 §, 㾀 §, 㾀歹 §, 馬滴 §
Taipei 死去, 老 †, 過身 †
New Taipei (Sanxia) 死去, 老去 †, 往生 †, 過身 †
Kaohsiung 死去, 老去 †, 行去 †, 往生 †, 無佇咧 †, 過身 †, 轉去 †
Yilan 死去, 老去 †, 往生 †, 無佇咧 †, 過身 †, 過往 †
Changhua (Lukang) 死去, 老 †, 無去 †, 過身 †, 轉去 †
Taichung 死去, 往生 †, 過身 †
Tainan 死去, 老去 †, 行去 †, 往生 †, 無佇咧 †, 過身 †, 轉去 †
Hsinchu 曲去, 去咯 †, 往生 †, 過身 †, 老去 †
Kinmen 死去, 往生 †, 過身 †, 行去 †
Penghu (Magong) 死去, 往生 †, 過身 †, 老去 †
Singapore (Hokkien) 死, 馬滴, 死翹翹, 過身 †, 百年 †, 百歲 †, 過氣 †, 起車 †, 老去 †, 老咯 †, 行去 †, 蟯去 †, 吭跤翹 †, 交登記 †
Manila (Hokkien) 死, 死去, 過面 †, 過身 †
Chaozhou 死, 過身 †, 過世 †
Jieyang 過身, 吭跤翹, 吭翹
Singapore (Teochew) 死, 過身
Leizhou 死, 過世 †, 過輩 †, 過目焗 ¤, 直筒 §, 刮薯減米 §
Haikou 死, 過層 †, ‡, 老 †, ‡, 貓使 §
Singapore (Hainanese) 死
Zhongshan Min Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi) 死
Southern Pinghua Nanning (Tingzi) 死, 瓜老襯, 過世, 歸西
Wu Shanghai 死, 故 †, 過世 †, 嘸沒 †, 一腳去 †, 翹辮子 §, ¤, 彈老三 §, 翹老三 §
Shanghai (Chongming) 死, 老 †, 故 †, 翹辮子 ¤
Suzhou 死, 壞, 去, 過世 †, 翹辮子 §
Danyang 死
Hangzhou 死, 故 †, 過世 †, 翹辮兒 ¤, 到龍駒塢去
Ningbo 死, 翹辮子 §, 過世 †, 嘸沒 †, 死脫 §, 燂茶, 山裡去, 吃豆腐羹, 嘸沒來的 †, 老 †
Wenzhou 死, 冇 †, 過輩 †, ‡, 蹻 ¤
Jinhua 死, 過世 †, 過輩 †, 弗在 †, 老 †, ‡
Xiang Changsha 死, 過 †, 去 †, 瓜, 彈, 彈四郎
Loudi 死, 過世 †, 故 †, 上岸 †
Shuangfeng 死, 過世 †, 故 †
Note † - euphemistic; ‡ - usually of the elderly; ¤ - humorous; § - derogatory/disrespectful
  • (therefore; so):
Dialectal synonyms of 所以 (“so; therefore”)
Variety Location Words
Classical Chinese 是以, 是故, 故, 以, 以是, 以故
Formal (Written Standard Chinese) 所以, 因此, 因而, 故, 故此, 故而
Northeastern Mandarin Taiwan 所以
Singapore 所以
Southwestern Mandarin Guilin 所以
Jianghuai Mandarin Yangzhou 所以
Cantonese Guangzhou 所以, 故此
Hong Kong 所以
Singapore (Guangfu) 所以
Gan Nanchang 故是
Hakka Meixian 所以, 故此
Miaoli (N. Sixian) 故所, 所以
Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) 故所, 所以, 故所以
Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) 所以
Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) 所以
Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) 所以, 故所
Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) 所以
Huizhou Jixi 所以上
Northern Min Jian'ou 故此
Eastern Min Fuzhou 故此
Southern Min Xiamen 所以
Quanzhou 所以
Zhangzhou 所以
Tainan 所以
Penang (Hokkien) 所以
Singapore (Hokkien) 所以
Manila (Hokkien) 所以
Wenchang 所以
Wu Shanghai 所以, 咾, 葛咾, 因此, 故所以 dated, 故而 dated, 所以緣故 dated, 為此緣故 dated, 因此緣故 dated
Shanghai (Chongming) 故所以
Xiang Loudi 故所以
Compounds
Descendants
Sino-Xenic (故):
  • → Japanese: 故(こ) (ko)
  • → Korean: 고(故) (go)
  • → Vietnamese: cố (故)

Others:

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Definitions

故

  1. (Cantonese) Alternative form of 古 (gu2, “story”)

Japanese

Kanji

故

(Fifth grade kyōiku kanji)

  1. happenstance
  2. old, past
  3. therefore
  4. late (deceased)

Readings

Compounds

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
故
こ
Grade: 5
kan'on

Pronunciation

Prefix

故(こ) • (ko-) 

  1. the deceased, late

Affix

故(こ) • (ko) 

  1. old; past; former

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
故
ゆえ
Grade: 5
kun'yomi
For pronunciation and definitions of 故 – see the following entry.
【ゆえ】
reason, cause
(This term, 故, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
故
ことさら
Grade: 5
kun'yomi
For pronunciation and definitions of 故 – see the following entry.
【殊更ことさら】
intentionally; deliberately; on purpose
particularly; especially; specially
intentional; deliberate
particular
(This term, 故, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

References


Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 故 (MC kuH). Recorded as Middle Korean 고 (kwo) (Yale: kwo) in Sinjeung Yuhap (新增類合 / 신증유합), 1576.

Pronunciation

  • (in 고향 (故鄕, gohyang)):
  • (old; cause; accident; etc.):
    • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA(key):
    • Phonetic hangul:
      • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Hanja

Korean Wikisource has texts containing the hanja:

Wikisource

故 (eumhun 옛 고 (yet go))

  1. hanja form? of 고 (“old; ancient”)
  2. hanja form? of 고 (“cause; reason”)
  3. hanja form? of 고 (“accident; unexpected event”)
  4. hanja form? of 고 (“late (deceased)”)
    故 노태우, 내일 국가장
    go No-tae'u, naeil gukgajang
    The state funeral for the late Roh Tae-woo will be tomorrow

Compounds

Compounds

References

  • 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

Vietnamese

Han character

故: Hán Nôm readings: cố, cớ

  1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.
Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia