故
happening; instance; reason; cause; intentional; former; friend; therefore; hence; (of people) to die, dead
Closest English meanings
old·former·cause·therefore
The Calligrapher — Zhū Xī 朱熹
Song neo-Confucian sage whose running script conveys calm authority.
Song calligrapher (), master of running script/regular script — known for 《城南唱和诗》. Song dynasty
Cultural Story
故 reaches back. 故人 is the friend of years; 故乡 the village you left. 故事 was first 'the old matter,' then the tale told of it; 故宫 the 'former palace' of the Ming emperors, now a museum of dust and lacquer. 故意 is to act on purpose, with the old intent. The word is memory wearing the face of cause.
Common words & phrases
- 故事 story · tale
- 故乡 hometown · native place
- 故意 deliberate · on purpose
- 故人 old friend
- 事故 accident · incident
- 故宫 Forbidden City · former palace
Read the story behind the character
You tell a 故事 to the child; 故乡 is the town you visit at Spring Festival; 故人 the voice on the old phone. 事故 is the crash on the bridge; 故意 the shove in the argument. 故宫 draws the queue around the block. The word holds the past and the plot, the hometown and the headline, all at once.
Own this character
Purchase delivers the original SVG of this glyph, brushed by Zhū Xī 朱熹, ready to place on skin, paper, or screen.