故人

gùrén

noun #30,020

Meanings

1 old friend
2 the deceased
3 someone from the past

Characters

old; former; deceased

Examples

他乡遇故人，真是难得。

Tāxiāng yù gùrén, zhēnshì nánde.

Meeting an old friend in a foreign land — truly a rare thing.

我们今天是来悼念故人的。

Wǒmen jīntiān shì lái dàoniàn gùrén de.

We are here today to mourn the deceased.

Tips

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故人 has a literary and somewhat formal tone. In everyday speech, 老朋友 (lǎo péngyou) is more common for old friend. 故人 can also refer to someone who has passed away.

Stroke Order

故 gù

人 rén