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復古

简复古 · 繁復古

Mandarin · pinyin fù gǔ

to return to old ways (a Confucian aspiration)
to turn back the clock
neoclassical school during Tang and Song associated with classical writing 古文
retro (fashion style based on nostalgia, esp. for 1960s)

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Characters in this entry

復: Look up this written character
古: gǔ · old, classic, ancient
复: fù · return; repeat; repeatedly

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

4–3 · fu4 gu3

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

復古 · find source passages ↗ · 复古 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

fuk6 gu2

Cantonese word readings for 復古. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

verb

to go back to the old ways; to restore ancient ways

adj

retro; vintage; period; olde worlde

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack