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已故 (yǐ gù) — deceased, late (used before a noun to refer to someone who has died)

Definition

Used as an attributive before a noun to mean 'the late / the deceased' (a respectful written register, as in 已故总统). It functions as a modifier, not a standalone predicate.

verb
deceasedlate (used before a noun to refer to someone who has died)

Examples

  • 已故。
    yǐ gù De zǒng tǒng shòu dào rén mín de zūn jìng.
    The late president is respected by the people.
  • 已故。
    Zhè běn shū shì yǐ gù zuò jiā xiě de.
    This book was written by a deceased author.
  • 已故。
    Wǒ men měi nián dōu huì jì niàn yǐ gù de qīn rén.
    We commemorate our deceased loved ones every year.

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.

已yǐalready
故gùdeceased

已 'already' with 故 'deceased' gives the sense of already dead.

Characters in this word

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

The shape of 已 may originally have been a drawing of either a snake or a fetus.

Open 已 →

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
攵Written in full as攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
古
古gǔ故gù
Same sound today

故 uses 古 for the sound and 攵, written in full as 攴, for the meaning.

Open 故 →
Appears in
Life Stages & Age

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