About
The character 故 is a phono-semantic compound formed by the semantic radical 攵 (pū), depicting a hand holding a stick or the act of striking, and the phonetic component 古 (gǔ), meaning ancient. This combination originally referred to incidents or reasons that cause an event. From the phonetic association with the past, the meaning extended to things that are old, former, or intentional. Today, it denotes causes, reasons, old acquaintances, and stories, and also indicates that an action is done intentionally or for a specific reason.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我爱听故事。
他不是故意迟到。
我的故乡在北方。
交通事故很危险。
他成功的缘故是努力。
天气不好，故活动延期。
他是我故人的朋友。
由于故乡的缘故，他故意讲述故事情节。