千古 (qiān gǔ) — eternal; through the ages

Definition

Literary/classical word for 'through the ages, eternal' — appears in set phrases like 千古之谜 (an age-old mystery) and 千古绝唱 (an eternal masterpiece). Far more formal than everyday words like 永远.

adjective
eternalthrough the ages

Examples

  • 千古。
    Zhè ge gù shi qiān gǔ liú chuán.
    This story has been passed down through the ages.
  • 千古。
    Zhè ge yí zhǐ shì yí gè qiān gǔ zhī mí.
    This ruin is an age-old mystery.
  • 千古。
    Zhè shǒu shī gē bèi chēng wéi qiān gǔ jué chàng.
    This poem is called an eternal masterpiece.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

千qiānthousand
古gǔancient

'千' means thousand and '古' means ancient times, together suggesting lasting through countless ages.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
一一yīone, signifying a number
Sound part声符shēngfú
人
人rén千qiān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

千 pairs 人, whose sound was similar, with 一, a number stroke; the extra line was explained as extension, and a thousand is a number reached by extending counting.

Open 千 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

One reading of 古 sees a shield-like shape above an open mark, showing strength and firmness. Another sees a person spitting out bad-tasting food.

Open 古 →

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