cú

徂

Character · Verb

go to; past; begin

Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma

Meanings

4 senses · 8 examples
1.

verb

to go; to proceed to; to head towards

literary

A classical/literary term describing movement towards a destination.

Zì自
xī西
cú徂
dōng东
 。

From west to east.

Dà大
jūn军
cú徂
zhēng征
 。

The great army marched on an expedition.

2.

verb

to pass; to elapse; to go by (of time)

literary

Used in classical texts to describe the passage of time.

Suì岁
yuè月
qí其
cú徂
 。

The years and months pass by.

Shí时
bù不
kě可
cú徂
 。

Time cannot be held back.

3.

verb

to begin; to start

literary

A classical usage, often found in older texts describing the onset of seasons or events.

Liù六
yuè月
cú徂
shǔ暑
 。

The sixth month marks the beginning of the summer heat.

Chūn春
rì日
cú徂
lái来
 。

The spring days begin to arrive.

4.

verb

to die; to pass away

literary

Used interchangeably with 殂 in classical Chinese to mean death, especially of a ruler or a respected person.

Xiān先
dì帝
cú徂
luò落
 。

The late emperor passed away.

Zhé哲
rén人
qí其
cú徂
 。

The wise man has departed.