姑
aunt; sister-in-law; nun; temporarily
Meanings
6 senses · 20 examplesnoun
father's younger sister; aunt
Often used with a numerical modifier to specify birth order, e.g. 大姑 (eldest paternal aunt). Can also be used colloquially for wife's younger sister in some dialects.
My eldest paternal aunt is a primary school teacher.
My cousin aunt sends gifts to me every year.
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My youngest paternal aunt just returned from abroad.
She is my mom's female cousin, so she is my cousin aunt.
During the Spring Festival, we all go to my eldest aunt's home to pay New Year calls.
noun
wife's sister; sister-in-law
Used with 大 (eldest) or 小 (youngest) to specify age order, e.g. 大姑子 (wife's elder sister).
My wife's elder sister is a manager at a company.
My wife's younger sister loves cute plush toys.
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My wife's elder sister often comes to our home as a guest on weekends.
I have a very good relationship with my wife's younger sister.
My wife's elder sister gave me a beautiful necklace as a gift.
noun
wife's mother; mother-in-law
literaryA literary term used in classical and formal written Chinese, paired with 翁 (wife's father) to refer to a couple's parents.
In ancient times, weng gu was the formal term for a couple's parents-in-law.
In ancient times, women needed to serve their parents-in-law well.
noun
Buddhist nun; religious female practitioner
literaryCan refer to Buddhist nuns, or colloquially to women who practice folk superstitions. Has a slightly old-fashioned or formal tone.
Several Buddhist nuns live in the nunnery on the mountain.
In the past, there were many superstitious female practitioners in the village who made a living from folk beliefs.
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This nun came from a temple in the south.
noun
surname Gu
A relatively common Chinese surname.
Professor Gu is a well-known scholar at our university.
I have a colleague whose surname is Gu.
adverb
temporarily; for the time being
literaryUsed in formal written Chinese to indicate that an action is done tentatively or temporarily, often paired with verbs to express hesitation or provisional arrangement.
Let's temporarily set aside this issue and discuss it later.
Let's just listen to his opinion for now.
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Regardless of the pros and cons of this plan, let's just implement it and see how it goes.