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姑且 (gū qiě) — (adverb) for the time being, tentatively

Definition

A literary adverb meaning 'tentatively, for now,' often used when conceding a point or trying something without commitment. More formal than 暂且; 暂时 is an adjective modifying nouns.

adverb
for the time beingtentatively

Examples

  • 姑且。
    Zhè jiàn shì gū qiě bù tí le.
    Let's not mention this matter for the time being.
  • 姑且。
    Wǒ men gū qiě tóng yì tā de fāng àn.
    We tentatively agree with his proposal.
  • 姑且，。
    Nǐ gū qiě zhù zài zhè lǐ, děng zhǎo dào fáng zi zài shuō.
    Stay here for now, and we'll talk after you find a place.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

姑gūfor the time being
且qiěfor the time being

姑 and 且 both carry the sense of 'for the time being', giving a tentative meaning.

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
女女nǚwoman
Sound part声符shēngfú
古
古gǔ姑gū
Same sound today

The left part 女 marks it as a woman, and the right part 古 provides the sound. It is used for female relatives like an aunt or mother-in-law.

Open 姑 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 且 is thought to picture a stone altar, a sacrificial vessel seen from above, or an erect penis.

Open 且 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Time (Abstract)

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