How to Write 诂 (gǔ) — Meaning “To explain / To gloss (archaic words)”

Think of the pinyin "gǔ" as "go" – you "go" back to ancient times to explain old words. The right side 古 looks like an old box, and the speech radical 讠 shows you are talking about what is inside.

Write the radical 讠 first (dot, then horizontal fold), then the 古 part: horizontal, vertical, horizontal, vertical, and final horizontal. Keep the 古's vertical strokes straight and evenly spaced; a common mistake is making the left radical too large or the right side too wide.

Visually, 诂 has 古 (old) on the right, while 讦 has 干 (dry) and 讧 has 工 (work). In meaning, 诂 refers to explaining ancient texts, 讦 means to expose or accuse, and 讧 means conflict or discord. They share the speech radical but have completely different uses.

诂 appears almost exclusively in academic or scholarly contexts related to classical Chinese studies, especially in the compound 训诂 (xùn gǔ, exegesis of ancient texts). You will not hear it in everyday conversation, but it is essential for understanding how classical works are interpreted.

Common words containing 诂 include: 训诂 (xùn gǔ) — Exegesis of ancient texts; 诂训 (gǔ xùn) — Exegesis / Glossing; 解诂 (jiě gǔ) — to explain ancient texts; commentary.