Learn a Chinese Character - 顾

1. Character Basics

Radical: 页/yè (page, leaf), 厄/è (hardship, difficulty)

Stroke Count: 10

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: Gù (Fourth tone)

3. Meaning

Basic Meaning: Look after; care for; attend to; consider; think of;顾念;顾惜

Extended Meaning: Turn around; look back; visit; patronize;顾全;顾虑

4. Common Words

• 照顾 (zhào gù) - Look after; take care of

  请照顾好你的弟弟。(Qǐng zhàogù hǎo nǐ de dìdi.) - Please take good care of your younger brother.

• 回顾 (huí gù) - Look back; review

  我们回顾了过去一年的工作。(Wǒmen huígù le guòqù yī nián de gōngzuò.) - We reviewed the work of the past year.

• 顾客 (gù kè) - Customer; client

  这家商店的顾客很多。(Zhè jiā shāngdiàn de gùkè hěn duō.) - This store has many customers.

• 顾虑 (gù lǜ) - Worry; concern

  他没有顾虑，勇敢地去了。(Tā méiyǒu gùlǜ, yǒnggǎn de qù le.) - He went bravely without any concerns.

• 只顾 (zhǐ gù) - Only care about;只顾

  他只顾自己，不顾别人。(Tā zhǐgù zìjǐ, bùgù biérén.) - He only cares about himself and doesn't care about others.

5. Grammar & Usage

As a Verb:

• 表示照顾、照管 (indicating to look after, to take care of): 顾家 (take care of family), 顾孩子 (look after children)
• 表示顾及、考虑 (indicating to consider, to take into account): 顾全大局 (consider the overall situation), 只顾眼前 (only consider the present)
• 表示拜访、探望 (indicating to visit, to call on): 三顾茅庐 (pay three visits to the thatched cottage)

As an Adverb:

• 表示反而、却 (indicating instead, but): 人小志大，顾不简单 (young but ambitious, instead not simple)

Common Structures:

• 顾+名词 (attend to+ noun): 顾生意 (attend to business), 顾面子 (care about face)
• 顾+动词+不+动词 (too busy to do something): 顾不上吃饭 (too busy to eat), 顾不过来 (too busy to handle everything)
• 顾+于+名词 (focus on+ noun): 顾于工作 (focus on work)

6. Cultural Background

在中国文化中，"顾"字蕴含着深厚的人文关怀和道德观念。它不仅表示照顾、照管，更体现了人与人之间的责任和义务。

In Chinese culture, the character "顾" contains profound humanistic care and moral concepts. It not only indicates to look after and take care of but also embodies the responsibilities and obligations between people.

"三顾茅庐"是中国历史上著名的典故，讲述了刘备三次拜访诸葛亮，请他出山辅佐自己的故事。这个成语后来用来比喻真心诚意地一再邀请有才能的人。

"Three visits to the thatched cottage" is a famous allusion in Chinese history, telling the story of Liu Bei visiting Zhuge Liang three times to invite him to assist him. This idiom is later used to metaphorically invite talented people sincerely and repeatedly.

此外，"顾全大局"也是一个重要的文化观念，强调在个人利益与集体利益发生冲突时，应优先考虑整体利益。

Furthermore, "consider the overall situation" is also an important cultural concept, emphasizing that when personal interests conflict with collective interests, overall interests should be prioritized.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

1. Component Analysis: 顾由"雇"(gù, employ)和"页"(yè, page, head)组成，可以理解为用眼睛(页)去看顾、照顾。

2. Sound Association: 与"故"(gù)同音，可以联想到"故旧"(old friends)需要照顾。

3. Visual Image: 想象一个人回头看(回顾)或者关心照顾他人的情景。

4. Sentence Memory: 使用常用词组"照顾"造句子：我会照顾好自己。(Wǒ huì zhàogù hǎo zìjǐ.) - I will take good care of myself.