故人 (gù rén) — old friend; (literary) former spouse, often deceased
Definition
Literary term for someone from your past — usually an old friend, sometimes a deceased former spouse. Strongly written/nostalgic in tone; 朋友 is the everyday spoken word.
noun
old friend(literary) former spouseoften deceased
Measure word · 位
Examples
- ，故人。Duō nián bú jiàn, gù rén yī rán jì de wǒ.After many years without seeing each other, my old friend still remembers me.
- 故人。Tā xiě le yì shǒu shī huái niàn yǐ gù de gù rén.He wrote a poem in memory of his late former spouse.
- 故人，。Zài yì xiāng yù dào gù rén, liǎng rén dōu hěn jī dòng.Meeting an old friend in a foreign land, both were very excited.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.