Chinese word

古人

Pronunciation

Pinyingǔ rén

Meaning

  • nounancient people

Example

书里记载了很多古人的故事。shū lǐ jì zǎi le hěn duō gǔ rén de gù shì

The book records many stories about ancient people.

Illustration for 古人 (ancient people)

More examples

古人说，经验比书本有时更重要。gǔ rén shuō jīng yàn bǐ shū běn yǒu shí gèng zhòng yào

The ancients said that experience is sometimes more important than books.

Core concept

People from a distant past, viewed as historical figures or earlier members of a family or community.

Common phrases

  • 古人说gǔ rén shuō

    the ancients say

  • 向古人学习xiàng gǔ rén xué xí

    learn from the ancients

  • 古人的智慧gǔ rén de zhì huì

    the wisdom of the ancients

Similar words

祖先zǔ xiān: Earlier members of one's family or people from whom a family, group, or nation descends.
先人xiān rén: People who lived or worked earlier in a particular field, period, or tradition.
古代人gǔ dài rén: People who lived in ancient times, especially in the distant historical past.
前人qián rén: People from earlier generations whose work or experience came before the present.

Definition in Chinese

指过去的人，尤指历史上的人物或先辈。zhǐ guò qù de rén yóu zhǐ lì shǐ shàng de rén wù huò xiān bèi

Word origin

古 (gǔ, "old; ancient") + 人 (rén, "person") forms a noun for people who lived in an earlier age.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, 古人 (gǔrén, "ancient people") usually points to the distant past rather than living older adults, so it has a literary or historical tone.

Other meanings

  • predecessorsnoun
  • ancestorsnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word