Definitions

guō (noun) outer city wall
Guō (noun) common surname

Etymology

A tall building  at the edge of a city 

About

The character 郭, structured with the component 享 and the radical 阝 denoting a place, etymologically referred to a city's outer wall. This concept broadened to include the outer city itself, and subsequently, the character's usage shifted toward becoming a common surname, though its initial meaning persists in compounds such as 城郭.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

明是我的好朋友。

Guō Míng shì wǒ de hǎo péngyou.

Guo Ming is my good friend.

老师今天来了吗?

Guō lǎoshī jīntiān láile ma?

Did Teacher Guo come today?

我们去看伯伯吧。

Wǒmen qù kàn Guō bóbo ba.

Let's go visit Uncle Guo.

这个村子被城包围着。

Zhège cūnzi bèi chéngguō bāowéizhe.

This village is surrounded by city walls.

地区有很多历史遗迹。

Dōngguō dìqū yǒu hěn duō lìshǐ yíjì.

The Dongguo area has many historical relics.

教授的研究成果很显著。

Guō jiàoshòu de yánjiū chéngguǒ hěn xiǎnzhù.

Professor Guo's research achievements are remarkable.

在古代,城是重要的防御工事。

Zài gǔdài, chéngguō shì zhòngyào de fángyù gōngshì.

In ancient times, city walls were important defensive structures.

女士在会议上提出了新颖的观点。

Guō nǚshì zài huìyì shàng tíchūle xīnyǐng de guāndiǎn.

Ms. Guo proposed innovative views at the meeting.