How to Write 估 (gū/gù) — Meaning “To estimate or appraise.”

Visualize an old person (古) standing next to a person (亻) who is appraising an antique vase. The old person represents experience, and together they "estimate" the vase's worth, linking the character to the meaning of estimating.

Write the left radical 亻 first — a short diagonal stroke (丿) then a vertical stroke (丨). Then write the right part 古: horizontal, vertical, horizontal, left-falling, vertical, horizontal (total 7 strokes). A common mistake is making the right side too narrow or forgetting to cross the middle horizontal in 古; keep both halves balanced.

估 (gū) means to estimate and has the right component 古. 仔 (zǎi or zǐ) means young animal or careful, with 子 (child) on the right. 仕 (shì) means official or scholar, with 士 (scholar) on the right. Their meanings are completely different, and the shapes of 古, 子, and 士 are visually distinct.

估 is common in words like 估计 (gū jì, to estimate) and 估算 (gū suàn, to roughly calculate). The word 估衣 (gù yī) refers to second-hand clothes, a term rooted in traditional Chinese markets where old garments were appraised and sold.

Common words containing 估 include: 估计 (gū jì) — To estimate or reckon.; 估算 (gū suàn) — to estimate; 估衣 (gù yī) — Second-hand clothes.