Chinese word

故

Pronunciation

Pinyingù

Meaning

  • nounreason

Example

他无故生气。tā wú gù shēng qì

He gets angry for no reason.

Illustration for 故 (reason)

More examples

由于种种缘故，他没能参加会议。yóu yú zhóng zhǒng yuán gù tā méi néng cān jiā huì yì

For various reasons, he could not attend the meeting.

Core concept

Points backward from an event to the matter that brought it about.

Common phrases

  • 缘故yuán gù

    reason

Similar words

原因yuán yīn: The direct cause or factor that makes an event or result happen.
理由lǐ yóu: A reason or explanation for an action, decision, or event.

Definition in Chinese

表示引起某事发生的原因或来由，侧重说明事情的来由与缘由，常见于书面语和固定搭配，口语中少单独使用。biǎo shì yín qǐ mǒu shì fā shēng de yuán yīn huò lái yóu cè zhòng shuō míng shì qíng de lái yóu yǔ yuán yóu cháng jiàn yú shū miàn yǔ hé gù dìng dā pèi kóu yǔ zhōng shǎo dān dú shǐ yòng

Word origin

故 (gù, "reason") is formed with 古 (gǔ, "old") for pronunciation and 攵 (pū, "action") for meaning, reflecting an older connection with an event or past circumstance that explains what follows.

Usage tips

  • Its position in a sentence often signals a written style, making it a useful reading cue when a Chinese text gives an explanation in a compact, formal way.

Other meanings

  • causenoun

Related words

Word lists with this word