贾 (gǔ) — (noun) surname (but see description — pinyin mismatch)

Definition

贾 (gǔ) is a surname pronounced 'gǔ' — note the pinyin mismatch with the common reading 'Jiǎ'. The 'trade' sense is literary and not used at this level.

noun
surname (but see description — pinyin mismatch)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 贾。
    gǔ Xiān sheng shì wǒ de lǎo shī.
    Mr. Jia is my teacher.
  • 贾，。
    Wǒ xìng gǔ, bú shì xìng zhāng.
    My surname is Jia, not Zhang.
  • 贾？
    gǔ Nǚ shì zuó tiān lái le ma?
    Did Ms. Jia come yesterday?

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 賈; 贾 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishellfish
Sound part声符shēngfú
襾
襾yà賈gǔ
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 賈 pairs 貝 (shellfish) with 襾 as a sound component. The simplified 贾 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.

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