故事

• Pinyin: gù shi
• Hanzi breakdown: 故 = 古 (ancient) + 攵 (action/tap); 事 = originally a hand holding a writing implement — 'affair, matter'

Meaning

Story; tale; narrative. A spoken or written account of events.

Used for fictional stories, real-life narratives, fairy tales, and anecdotes. Very common in daily life, from bedtime stories to movie plots.

Examples

1. 妈妈每天给我讲一个故事。 Mom tells me a story every day.
2. 这本书的故事很有意思。 The story in this book is very interesting.
3. 你知道这个地方的故事吗？ Do you know the story of this place?

Usage Guide

Context: storytelling, literature, conversation

Tone: narrative, engaging

Do Say

• 给我讲个故事吧。(Tell me a story.)
• 这是一个真实的故事。(This is a true story.)

Don't Say

• 不要把故事和事故混淆 — 故事 means 'story,' while 事故 (with reversed characters) means 'accident.' They are completely different.

Origin & History

Compound of 故 (old, past, reason) and 事 (matter, affair). Originally 'past events,' which evolved to mean any narrated story.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal