鼓

• Pinyin: gǔ
• Hanzi breakdown: 鼓 = 壴 (drum on stand) + 支 (branch) — depicts a drum being struck

Meaning

Drum; to drum; to encourage. A percussion instrument struck with sticks or hands, or to motivate and inspire.

As a noun, refers to various drums. As a verb, means to beat a drum or metaphorically to encourage (鼓励) or muster up (鼓起勇气 — muster courage). Also appears in 鼓掌 (to applaud).

Examples

1. 过年的时候，村里的人会敲鼓庆祝。 During the New Year, villagers beat drums to celebrate.
2. 他鼓起勇气向她表白了。 He mustered the courage to confess his feelings to her.
3. 听到好消息，大家都鼓掌欢呼。 Hearing the good news, everyone applauded and cheered.

Usage Guide

Context: music, celebration, encouragement

Tone: energetic

Do Say

• 这个鼓的声音很响亮。(The sound of this drum is very loud.)
• 你要鼓起勇气面对困难。(You need to muster the courage to face difficulties.)

Don't Say

• 说'鼓一个人'表示鼓励 (Don't say 鼓 alone to mean encourage — use the full word 鼓励 or phrases like 鼓起勇气; 鼓 alone means the drum)

Origin & History

Pictophonetic character. 壴 (drum on a stand) provides meaning, 支 (branch/stick) suggests the drumstick.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal