Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and 古 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "flesh under the chin of a cow", which later shifted to "beard" (now written as 鬍 in traditional characters). Also used pejoratively to refer to foreigners from central Asia, who tended to have more beards than Han Chinese people. This meaning also shifted to "reckless" and "outrageous".
Components
Notes
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Historical Evolution
胡
Bronze
Late Warring States (~250 BC)
胡
Seal
Shuowen (~100 AD)
胡
Regular
Modern
Chinese
胡 [Hú]
surname Hu
胡 [hú]
non-Han people, esp. from central Asia; reckless; outrageous; what?; why?; to complete a winning hand at mahjong (also written 和[hú])
胡 / 衚 [hú]
see 衚衕|胡同[hútòng]
Japanese
barbarian tribes surrounding ancient China
Example Sentences
Japanese Names
胡 う
U surname
胡 えびす
Ebisu surnamegiven name
胡 えびすざき
Ebisuzaki surname
胡 こ
Ko surnamegiven name
胡 こう
Kō surname
胡 ご
Go surname
胡 ふ
Fu surname
Hu surname
CHINESE WORDS (200)
胡锦涛 [HúJǐntāo] #3,883
Hu Jintao (1942-), General Secretary of the CCP 2002-2012, president of the PRC 2003-2013
胡锦涛 [HúJǐntāo] #3,883
Hu Jintao (1942-), General Secretary of the CCP 2002-2012, president of the PRC 2003-2013
胡说 [húshuō] #2,665
to talk nonsense
胡说 [húshuō] #2,665
to talk nonsense
胡萝卜 [húluóbo] #6,986
carrot
胡萝卜 [húluóbo] #6,986
carrot
胡说八道 [húshuōbādào] #3,948
to talk rubbish
胡说八道 [húshuōbādào] #3,948
to talk rubbish
胡扯 [húchě] #3,900
to chatter
胡闹 [húnào] #7,106
to act willfully and make a scene
190 more
items
JAPANESE WORDS (102)
⭐ 誤魔化す [ごまかす] #3,538
to deceive
胡散臭い [うさんくさい] #10,844
suspicious-looking
誤魔化し [ごまかし] #21,138
cheating
胡乱 [うろん] #21,339
suspicious-looking
⭐ 胡椒 [こしょう] #30,055
pepper
胡坐をかく [あぐらをかく] #32,258
to sit cross-legged
⭐ 胡桃 [くるみ] #34,243
walnut (Juglans spp., esp. Juglans regia)
胡散 [うさん] #36,467
suspicious
⭐ 胡坐 [あぐら] #42,116
sitting cross-legged
⭐ 胡麻 [ごま] #46,236
sesame seeds
92 more
items