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顧 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
顧gùto look back; to look at; to look afterx, 21 strokes, radical 頁
gù(gu4) T4
  1. 1to look back; to look at; to look after
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

顧gù(gu4)

The character 顧 (gù) primarily means 'to look back' or 'to look after.' It is often used in contexts where someone is reflecting on the past or caring for someone or something. This character can convey a sense of attentiveness or consideration.

Strokes21Radical頁
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, the concept of looking after others is deeply valued, often associated with familial responsibilities and Confucian ideals. The character 顧 reflects this cultural emphasis on care and responsibility.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person named 'Goo' who is always looking back to check on their friends. The character 顧 has the radical '言' (speech) at the bottom, suggesting a conversation or reflection about what has happened.

Meanings of 顧

gù(gu4)
1to look back; to look at; to look after
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 顧

顧Simplified
21Strokes
頁Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 顧

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Podcast: 顧

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 顧

Quick Contrast

顾 (gù) vs 照顾 (zhàogù) — use 顾 (gù) when emphasizing looking back or reflecting, while 照顾 (zhàogù) specifically focuses on caring for someone or something.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 顧 with other similar characters like 看 (kàn, to see) or 照顧 (zhàogù, to take care of). This character is more formal in tone, often appearing in literary or reflective contexts. Be mindful of the tone when pronouncing gù, as mispronunciation can lead to misunderstandings.

HSK Study Tips

While 顧 is not currently part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects to themes of reflection and care found in other beginner words. Students should focus on recognizing the character components and associations with care and attention.

Common Mistakes

Students sometimes confuse 顧 with 照顧, mistakenly using it in contexts that require the latter. For example, saying '我顧孩子' (I look after the child) is correct, but using '我顧的孩子' (the child I look at) is incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 顧

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Etymology of 顧

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Simplified form of 顧. Phonosemantic compound. 頁 represents the meaning and 雇 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

head

Semantic (meaning)頁
+
Phonetic (sound)雇
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 顧

Simplified form of 顧. Phonosemantic compound. 頁 represents the meaning and 雇 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half頁 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half雇 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayhead
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 顧? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 顧?

Decomposition of 顧

IDS Structure⿰雇頁
顧Full Character
=
雇gu4
left
頁ye4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 顧?

How to say to look back; to look at; to look after in Chinese

“to look back; to look at; to look after” in Chinese is顧gù

The character 顧 (gù) primarily means 'to look back' or 'to look after.' It is often used in contexts where someone is reflecting on the past or caring for someone or something. This character can convey a sense of attentiveness or consideration.

When to use 顧

Learners often confuse 顧 with other similar characters like 看 (kàn, to see) or 照顧 (zhàogù, to take care of). This character is more formal in tone, often appearing in literary or reflective contexts. Be mindful of the tone when pronouncing gù, as mispronunciation can lead to misunderstandings.

顧 or something close to it

顾 (gù) vs 照顾 (zhàogù) — use 顾 (gù) when emphasizing looking back or reflecting, while 照顾 (zhàogù) specifically focuses on caring for someone or something.

What learners get wrong

Students sometimes confuse 顧 with 照顧, mistakenly using it in contexts that require the latter. For example, saying '我顧孩子' (I look after the child) is correct, but using '我顧的孩子' (the child I look at) is incorrect.

Write 顧

顧

Practice writing 顧 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 顧

Words Containing This Character20
照顾zhàogùto take care of照顧
顾客gùkèclient顧客
顾问gùwènadviser顧問
回顾huígùto look back回顧
顾gùto look after顧
不顾búgùin spite of不顧
顾虑gùlǜmisgivings顧慮
兼顾jiāngùto attend simultaneously to two or more things兼顧
光顾guānggùto visit (as a customer)光顧
不顾一切reckless不顧一切
顾及gùjíto attend to顧及
只顾zhǐgùengrossed只顧
眷顾to care for眷顧
顾忌worry顧忌
后顾之忧hòugùzhīyōuworries about the future consequences後顧之憂
义无反顾no surrender義無反顧
环顾to survey環顧
顾不得gùbudeunable to change sth顧不得
不屑一顾bùxièyīgùto disdain as beneath contempt (idiom)不屑一顧
奋不顾身regardless of perils奮不顧身
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 照顾 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 顧

You can say '我顧著我的朋友' (I look after my friend) to show care.

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