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How to Write 姑 (gū) — Meaning “paternal aunt”

gū HSK Level 3 8 strokes Radical: 女

姑 (gū) means "paternal aunt" in Chinese. It has 8 strokes with the radical 女, and is HSK Level 3.

Rated 3.7/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 48% of HSK Level 3 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 姑娘 (gū niáng), 姑姑 (gū gū), 姑妈 (gū mā).

Due to its 8 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 姑 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 姑 - gū

Practice Writing 姑 (gū)

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How to Write 姑

The character 姑 (gū) is written with 8 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 女 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does gū (姑) Mean in Chinese?

姑 means paternal aunt.

As an HSK Level 3 character, 姑 is an intermediate-level character.

Character Data

Character姑
Pinyingū (gu)
Meaningpaternal aunt
Strokes8
Radical女
HSK Level3
Difficulty3.7/5

Origin of 姑

姑 is a phono-semantic compound: the radical 女 (woman) indicates a female relative, while 古 (gǔ, 'ancient') provides the sound and hints at an older generation. Originally it referred to one's father's sister, an 'ancient woman' in the family hierarchy.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture an ancient (古) woman (女) in a traditional robe, affectionately pinching your cheek—that's your paternal aunt (姑).

Common Words with 姑

姑娘 gū niáng
girl; young lady
姑姑 gū gū
paternal aunt
姑妈 gū mā
paternal aunt (father's sister)

Example Sentences

那个姑娘很漂亮。

nà ge gū niáng hěn piào liàng

That girl is very beautiful.

我姑姑在医院工作。

wǒ gū gū zài yī yuàn gōng zuò

My aunt works in a hospital.

姑妈送了我一个礼物。

gū mā sòng le wǒ yí gè lǐ wù

My aunt gave me a gift.

Similar Characters Comparison

Character Pinyin Strokes Radical
姑 (current) gū 8 女
奸 jiān 6 女
她 tā 6 女
好 hǎo / hào 6 女
Stroke order practice for 姑 - gū

Practice Writing 姑 (gū)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 姑 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 姑

姑 is made of two parts: the radical 女 on the left, meaning 'woman' or 'female', and the component 古 on the right, which provides the sound gǔ. The combination indicates a female relative, specifically a paternal aunt.

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