Chinese Character: 估
1. Character Basics
Radical: 亻/人 (rén, person, indicates related to people or human action)
Stroke Count: 7
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: Gū (First tone)
3. Meaning
Core meaning: To estimate; to appraise; to evaluate; to judge; to guess; to assess
This character represents the act of making a rough calculation or judgment about the quantity, value, quality, or nature of something.
4. Common Words
- 估计 (gūjì): to estimate; to assess; to calculate roughly
Example: 我估计他会来。(Wǒ gūjì tā huì lái.) I estimate he will come. - 估价 (gūjià): to appraise; to evaluate; to set a price
Example: 专家正在估价这幅画。(Zhuānjiā zhèngzài gūjià zhè fú huà.) Experts are appraising this painting. - 估算 (gūsuàn): to estimate; to compute roughly
Example: 我们需要估算一下成本。(Wǒmen xūyào gūsuàn yīxià chéngběn.) We need to estimate the cost. - 评估 (pínggū): to evaluate; to assess
Example: 公司正在评估这个项目。(Gōngsī zhèngzài pínggū zhège xiàngmù.) The company is evaluating this project. - 估测 (gūcè): to estimate; to conjecture
Example: 科学家在估测地震的可能性。(Kēxuéjiā zài gūcè dìzhèn de kěnéngxìng.) Scientists are estimating the possibility of an earthquake.
5. Grammar & Usage
Part of speech: Verb
Usage patterns:
- As a verb: It is used to express the act of making a rough calculation or judgment about quantity, value, quality, etc.
- Common structures: 估 + noun (e.g., 估价格 (gū jiàgé, to estimate price), 估时间 (gū shíjiān, to estimate time))
- Can be combined with other verbs: 估计 (estimate), 估价 (appraise), 估算 (compute roughly), 评估 (evaluate), 估测 (conjecture)
6. Cultural Background
In Chinese culture, "估" embodies people's ability to judge and estimate the value of things. It reflects the practical wisdom in daily life and business activities.
In commercial transactions, "估" is an important part of price negotiation and trading. In daily life, it is commonly used to make rough judgments about time, distance, quantity, and other aspects.
7. Example Sentence
1. 我估计明天会下雨。
(Wǒ gūjì míngtiān huì xiàyǔ.)
I estimate it will rain tomorrow.
2. 请你帮我估一下这个古董的价格。
(Qǐng nǐ bāng wǒ gū yīxià zhège gǔdǒng de jiàgé.)
Please help me appraise the price of this antique.
3. 他估算了一下完成这个项目需要的时间。
(Tā gūsuànle yīxià wánchéng zhège xiàngmù xūyào de shíjiān.)
He estimated the time needed to complete this project.
8. Memory Tips
- Structure memory: The left part is "亻" (person), and the right part is "古" (old). You can understand it as "a person assessing ancient things" or "a person making judgments about old things".
- Associative memory: Imagine a person carefully observing and evaluating an old object, trying to determine its value.
- Phonetic memory: The pronunciation is similar to "古" (gǔ), but with a different tone (first tone).
- Practical memory: Try to use words like "估计" (estimate), "估价" (appraise) in your daily conversation to familiarize yourself with the usage of this character.