Definition
垢 (gòu) is a bound morpheme (never used alone) that appears in Chinese compounds with two related meanings: literal dirt or grime (e.g., 污垢 wūgòu, 尘垢 chéngòu), and figurative disgrace or humiliation (e.g., 含垢忍辱 hán gòu rěn rǔ, 'to endure shame'). You'll most often encounter it in formal or literary contexts.
b.f.
(bound form) dirtfilth(bound form) disgracehumiliation
Examples
- 。Qīngxǐ kōngtiáo shí xūyào qīngchú nèibù de wū gòu.When cleaning the air conditioner, you need to remove the dirt inside.
- 垢，。Tā jīnglì le hán gòu rěn rǔ de rìzi, zhōngyú déyǐ fānshēn.He went through days of enduring humiliation, and finally managed to turn things around.
- ，垢。Fángjiān chángqī méi rén zhù, dàochù shì chén gòu hé zhūwǎng.The room had been unoccupied for a long time, filled with dust and cobwebs.
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