溝

简 沟 · 繁 溝
Mandarin · pinyin gōu

Meanings

  1. ditch
  2. gutter
  3. groove
  4. gully
  5. ravine
  6. Classifier: 道 dào
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Characters in this entry

溝
Look up this written character
沟
gōu · ditch, drain, narrow waterway
Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1 · gou1

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1character link19same-tone records1source reference
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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.

溝 · find source passages ↗ · 沟 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 8 senses · 2 Cantonese readings

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

gau1 · kau1

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

CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack

Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

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

character · Etymology 1

  1. ditch; trench; channel (artificial or natural) (Classifier: 條/条 m; 道 m)
  2. trench (military)
  3. gully; valley
  4. groove; rut; furrow (Classifier: 道 m)
  5. a numeral that refers to 10³² or others

character · Etymology 2

  1. only used in 溝瞀/沟瞀 (kòumào, “ignorant”)

character · Etymology 3

  1. (Cantonese) alternative form of 摳 /抠 (“to mix”)

character · Etymology 4

  1. (chiefly Cantonese) to pick up; to hit on

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

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