胡
ancient northern/western ethnic group; beard; randomly; interrogative pronoun
Meanings
6 senses · 17 examplesnoun
ancient northern and western ethnic groups
archaicHistorical term, no longer used in modern daily speech.
During the Han Dynasty, the Central Plains region often had trade with the Hu people.
Ancient poems often describe the living customs of the Hu ethnic groups.
adjective
foreign; from non-native ethnic groups
archaicUsed before nouns to describe items originating from non-Chinese ethnic groups or foreign countries, now rarely used in modern formal contexts.
The huqin is a musical instrument originating from northern ethnic minorities.
Pepper was introduced to China via the Silk Road from foreign countries.
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Sesame, also called huma, was brought back to China from the Western Regions by Zhang Qian.
noun
surname Hu
neutralA common Chinese surname.
Professor Hu will come to the school to give a lecture today.
My neighbor is surnamed Hu, and he is a retired doctor.
adverb
randomly; carelessly; recklessly
neutralCommon in modern spoken and written Chinese, used before verbs to describe actions done without proper planning or restraint.
Don't lose your temper randomly, communicate well with everyone.
He reviewed randomly before the exam and failed as a result.
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Don't write carelessly, finish your homework seriously.
When he was drunk, he caused trouble recklessly on the street.
Don't talk nonsense, this is not the truth at all.
pronoun
why; what for
formalLiterary and formal usage, mostly seen in classical Chinese or formal written modern Chinese.
Why not return home? As dusk approaches, why not hurry back?
Why are you so flustered and where do you want to go?
noun
beard; whiskers
neutralTraditional simplified form is 鬍, now often written as 胡 in simplified Chinese
He has a thick beard.
My grandfather shaves every morning.
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This old grandfather's beard is completely white.