古
Character learning workspace

gǔ · old, classic, ancient

Master the form, understand its parts, and learn how it behaves in real Chinese.

HSK 3.0 · Level 5Frequency #2558
Watch · inspect · write

Learn every stroke in 古

Replay the complete order, pause on difficult movements, inspect one stroke at a time, then write it yourself with live correction.

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Stroke graphics: Make Me a Hanzi / Arphic Public License
Step-by-step explorer

See how 古 is constructed

Switch between the accumulated form and the isolated movement of each stroke.

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Character anatomy

Understand the reusable parts

The decomposition shows how the visual pieces fit together, not necessarily the character’s historical origin.

Writing notes

Shape and proportion

5Total strokes

Count each continuous pen movement once, including turns and hooks.

Top-bottomCharacter structure

Keep the upper section balanced above the lower section.

口Key radical

Use the highlighted radical in the animation as a visual anchor for remembering the form.

Print and practise

Download a 古 writing sheet

Get a ready-to-use A4 sheet immediately, or open the full builder to change its grid and guidance.

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Includes the stroke sequence, progressive tracing, and blank writing squares. Generated locally in your browser.

Vocabulary in context

Common words with 古

Open a word for its full breakdown, or listen before reading the meaning.

gǔWords pronounced gǔ
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Example sentences

Notice where 古 sits in each complete thought.

Wǒ zhēn xiǎng kàn kàn gǔ dài de shì jiè shì zěn yàng de.我真想看看古代的世界是怎樣的。

I wish I could see the ancient world.

Source: Tatoeba #422990 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ mǎi le yì zhǎn gǔ lǎo de dēng.我买了一盏古老的灯。

I bought an ancient lamp.

Source: Tatoeba #332752 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tā shì yí wèi qián wú gǔ rén de dà kē xué jiā.他是一位前无古人的大科学家。

He is as great a scientist as ever lived.

Source: Tatoeba #1394996 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tā kàn gǔ dǒng de yǎn guāng hěn hǎo.她看古董的眼光很好。

She has an eye for antiques.

Source: Tatoeba #8739479 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Tā de xìng qíng gǔ guài.他的性情古怪。

He's a strange character.

Source: Tatoeba #333195 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Zhè shì yí zuò gǔ lǎo de chéng bǎo.这是一座古老的城堡。

This is an ancient castle.

Source: Tatoeba #10199250 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 古 in context

  1. Say gǔ, then recall the core meaning: old, classic, ancient.
  2. Write all 5 strokes while keeping the top-bottom balanced.
  3. Use it in 古代 (gǔ dài), meaning “ancient times”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 古 works in that context.

Definitions and traditional forms are compiled from Make Me a Hanzi, HSK curriculum data, and CC-CEDICT. Sourced example sentences link to Tatoeba; editorial examples are labeled separately. Review data sources and licenses.