The character 故 — “former”: how to write it and what it means
former; reason
The Chinese character 故 is read gù and means “former; reason”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 故
故 has 9 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 故, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 故 is made of
On the left, 古 gǔ “ancient” hints at the sound. 故事 is “past affairs”, that is, a “story”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 故
- 故事storyHSK 3
- 故意on purposeHSK 4
- 事故accidentHSK 5
- 故乡hometown, native landHSK 5
- 故障malfunction, breakdownHSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 故?
故 has 9 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 故 mean?
故 means “former; reason”. It appears in 故事 (“story”), 故意 (“on purpose”), 事故 (“accident”), 故乡 (“hometown”).
How do you pronounce 故?
故 is read gù. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 故 have?
9 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 故 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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