gu

Everyday

1. Gu on its own is not an English word. tree →
2. (Mandarin, pinyin) gu is a syllable with many meanings by tone: gǔ means old or ancient, bone, or drum; gū means aunt (father's sister); gù means reason or so. It sounds like goo. tree →
3. Gu can be part of a name (a surname, Gu). tree →
4. It may be a fragment cut from a longer word such as gum or guide. tree →
5. Gu is also used in some place names, such as Ryn Gu, the name of a realm in a story. tree →

In the lessons

In lessons on Mandarin heard on the street it appears in words like gǔdài (ancient times) and gūgu (aunt). In English texts it is usually a fragment or a name.

Examples

• Gu is not an English word. tree →
• In Mandarin, gǔ can mean drum. tree →
• Gūgu is how a Chinese child says auntie on her father's side. tree →
• Gu sounds like goo to an English ear. tree →
• Mr Gu is our new maths teacher. tree →
• The word got cut and only gu was left on the page. tree →
• But the Mikoto soon remembered what had brought him to Ryn Gu, and said to his host: tree →

Note

Not English. In Mandarin the tone changes the meaning: gū, gú, gǔ, gù are different words. As a surname it is a name; nothing more is known.