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千古

Mandarin · pinyin qiān gǔ

for all eternity
throughout all ages
eternity (used in an elegiac couplet, wreath etc dedicated to the dead)

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Characters in this entry

千: qiān · thousand; many, numerous; very; (Cant.) a cheater, swindler
古: gǔ · old, classic, ancient

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

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Mandarin tones

1–3 · qian1 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.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 2 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

cin1 gu2

Cantonese word readings for 千古. 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.

noun

(through) the ages; (for) all time; eternity

verb

(intransitive, euphemistic, used in an elegiac couplet or on wreaths dedicated to the dead) to rest in peace

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

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