[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/gu/)

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# gu

fragment; (Mandarin, pinyin) syllable

«gu» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Gu on its own is not an English word. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gu/#m1)
2. (Mandarin, pinyin) gu is a syllable with many meanings by tone: gǔ means old or ancient, bone, or drum; gū means aunt (father's sister); gù means reason or so. It sounds like goo. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gu/#m2)
3. Gu can be part of a name (a surname, Gu). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gu/#m3)
4. It may be a fragment cut from a longer word such as gum or guide. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gu/#m4)
5. Gu is also used in some place names, such as Ryn Gu, the name of a realm in a story. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gu/#m5)

### In the lessons

In lessons on Mandarin heard on the street it appears in words like gǔdài (ancient times) and gūgu (aunt). In English texts it is usually a fragment or a name.

### Examples

- Gu is not an English word. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gu/#x1)
- In Mandarin, gǔ can mean drum. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gu/#x2)
- Gūgu is how a Chinese child says auntie on her father's side. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gu/#x3)
- Gu sounds like goo to an English ear. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gu/#x4)
- Mr Gu is our new maths teacher. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gu/#x5)
- The word got cut and only gu was left on the page. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gu/#x6)
- But the Mikoto soon remembered what had brought him to Ryn Gu, and said to his host: [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gu/#x7)

### Note

Not English. In Mandarin the tone changes the meaning: gū, gú, gǔ, gù are different words. As a surname it is a name; nothing more is known.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «gu» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gu/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«gu» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/gu.html) on Mova free.