枯

枯 U+67AF, 枯 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-67AF ← 枮 [U+67AE] CJK Unified Ideographs 枰 → [U+67B0]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

枯 (Kangxi radical 75, 木+5, 9 strokes, Cangjie input 木十口 (DJR), four-corner 4496₀, composition ⿰木古)

Derived characters

• 喖, 𤋹, 𩹬, 𬃱, 𣚷, 𬄮, 𬅂, 𰏪, 𲶂, 𢉽

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 517, character 3
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 14579
• Dae Jaweon: page 904, character 18
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1178, character 3
• Unihan data for U+67AF

Chinese

simp. and trad.		枯

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 枯
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Small seal script

Characters in the same phonetic series (古) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
箇	*kaːls
個	*kaːls
居	*kɯ, *kas
橭	*kaː, *kʰaː
嫴	*kaː
姑	*kaː
辜	*kaː
酤	*kaː, *kaːs, *ɡaːʔ
蛄	*kaː
鴣	*kaː
沽	*kaː, *kaːʔ, *kaːs
盬	*kaː, *kaːʔ
古	*kaːʔ
罟	*kaːʔ
估	*kaːʔ
鈷	*kaːʔ
詁	*kaːʔ
牯	*kaːʔ
故	*kaːs
固	*kaːs
稒	*kaːɡs
痼	*kaːɡs
錮	*kaːɡs
鯝	*kaːɡs
棝	*kaːɡs
凅	*kaːɡs
枯	*kʰaː
軲	*kʰaː
跍	*kʰaː
骷	*kʰaː
苦	*kʰaːʔ, *kʰaːs
葫	*qʰaː, *ɡaː
餬	*ɡaː
瑚	*ɡaː
湖	*ɡaː
鶘	*ɡaː
猢	*ɡaː
醐	*ɡaː
糊	*ɡaː
箶	*ɡaː
蝴	*ɡaː
胡	*ɡaː
瓳	*ɡaː
怙	*ɡaːʔ
祜	*ɡaːʔ
岵	*ɡaːʔ
婟	*ɡaːʔ, *ɡaːɡs
楛	*ɡaːʔ
据	*ka
裾	*ka
琚	*ka
椐	*ka, *kas, *kʰa
鶋	*ka
蜛	*ka
崌	*ka
涺	*ka
腒	*ka, *ɡa
鋸	*kas
倨	*kas
踞	*kas
涸	*ɡaːɡ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *kʰaː): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 古 (OC *kaːʔ).

Etymology

Apparently Austroasiatic; compare Khmer ខះ (khah, “to dry up; to wither”) (Schuessler, 2007), which is from Proto-Mon-Khmer *ckəh (“dry”).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): kū (ku¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄎㄨ

  (Xi'an, Guanzhong Pinyin): kǔ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): fu¹

  (Dongguan, Jyutping++): fu¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): ku¹

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): khû

  (Hailu, HRS): ku^ˇ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): ku¹

• Jin (Wiktionary): ku¹
• Northern Min (KCR): kú
• Eastern Min (BUC): gŭ
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): kou¹
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): ko͘ / kho͘

  (Teochew, Peng'im): gou¹ / kou¹

  (Leizhou, Leizhou Pinyin): ku¹

• Southern Pinghua (Nanning, Jyutping++): hu¹
• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ¹khu / ¹khou
  • (Jinhua): ¹khu
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): ku¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: kū
    • Zhuyin: ㄎㄨ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ku
    • Wade–Giles: kʻu¹
    • Yale: kū
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ku
    • Palladius: ку (ku)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰu⁵⁵/
  • (Xi'an)
    • Guanzhong Pinyin: kǔ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰu²¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: fu¹
    • Yale: fū
    • Cantonese Pinyin: fu¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: fu¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fuː⁵⁵/
  • (Dongguan, Guancheng)
    • Jyutping++: fu¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /fu²¹³/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: ku¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰu³³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: khû
    • Hakka Romanization System: ku^ˊ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: ku¹
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰu²⁴/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: ku^ˇ
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰu¹¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: ku¹
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰu⁴⁴/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: ku¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /kʰu¹¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: kú
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰu⁵⁴/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: gŭ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ku⁵⁵/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: kou¹
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: ko
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰɔu⁵³³/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: kou¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰɔu⁵⁴⁴/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ko͘
    • Tâi-lô: koo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: kof
    • Sinological IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /kɔ⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /kɔ³³/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: kho͘
    • Tâi-lô: khoo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: qof
    • Sinological IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /kʰɔ⁴⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /kʰɔ³³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: gou¹ / kou¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: kou / khou
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kou³³/, /kʰou³³/

Note:

• gou1 - most senses;
• kou1 - dialectal usage (e.g. 豆枯, 茶枯).

• (Leizhou)
  • Leizhou Pinyin: ku¹
  • Sinological IPA: /kʰu³⁵/
• Southern Pinghua
  • (Nanning Pinghua, Tingzi)
    • Jyutping++: hu¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hu⁵³/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai, Jiading, Songjiang, Chongming, Changzhou, Jiaxing, Hangzhou, Shaoxing, Ningbo, Zhoushan)
    • Wugniu: ¹khu
    • MiniDict: khu^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹khu
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /kʰu⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Jiading): /kʰu⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Songjiang): /kʰu⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Chongming): /kʰu⁵⁵/
    • Sinological IPA (Changzhou): /kʰu⁵⁵/
    • Sinological IPA (Jiaxing): /kʰu⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Hangzhou): /kʰu³³⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Shaoxing): /kʰu⁵²/
    • Sinological IPA (Ningbo): /kʰu⁵²/
    • Sinological IPA (Zhoushan): /kʰu⁵³/
  • (Northern: Suzhou)
    • Wugniu: ¹khou
    • MiniDict: khou^平
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /kʰəu⁴⁴/
  • (Jinhua)
    • Wugniu: ¹khu
    • Sinological IPA (Jinhua): /kʰu³³⁴/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: ku¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /kʰu³³/

---

• Middle Chinese: khu

Rime
Character	枯
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	溪 (29)
Final (韻)	模 (23)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	苦胡切
Baxter	khu
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/kʰuo/
Pan Wuyun	/kʰuo/
Shao Rongfen	/kʰo/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/kʰɔ/
Li Rong	/kʰo/
Wang Li	/kʰu/
Bernhard Karlgren	/kʰuo/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	kū
Expected Cantonese Reflex	fu1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*kʰˤa/

  (Zhengzhang): /*kʰaː/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	枯
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	kū
Middle Chinese	‹ khu ›
Old Chinese	/*kʰˁa/
English	withered, dried up
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	枯
Reading #	1/1
No.	4238
Phonetic component	古
Rime group	魚
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	枯
Old Chinese	/*kʰaː/

Definitions

枯

1. (of plants, etc.) dry; withered

   枯萎  ―  kūwěi  ―  wilted; withered

   枯枝  ―  kūzhī  ―  withered tree branch

   • 行冬令，則草木蚤枯，後乃大水，敗其城郭。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     行冬令，则草木蚤枯，后乃大水，败其城郭。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Book of Rites, c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE

     Xíng dōng lìng, zé cǎomù zǎo kū, hòu nǎi dàshuǐ, bài qí chéngguō. [Pinyin]

     If the proceedings proper to winter were observed, all plants and trees would wither early, and afterwards, there would be great floods, destroying city and suburban walls.

2. (of wells, rivers, etc.) dried out
3. (of muscle) withered; decayed
4. boring; uninteresting; dry

   枯燥  ―  kūzào  ―  dull; boring

5. (dialect) dregs
6. (traditional Chinese medicine) partial paralysis
7. a surname

Compounds

• 一聚枯骨
• 乾枯 / 干枯 (gānkū)
• 偏枯
• 冢中枯骨 (zhǒngzhōngkūgǔ)
• 勢若摧枯 / 势若摧枯
• 口枯眼澀 / 口枯眼涩
• 噓枯吹生 / 嘘枯吹生
• 夏枯草 (xiàkūcǎo)
• 形容枯槁 (xíngróng kūgǎo)
• 得失榮枯 / 得失荣枯
• 拉朽摧枯
• 搜索枯腸 / 搜索枯肠 (sōusuǒkūcháng)
• 摧枯折腐
• 摧枯拉朽 (cuīkū lāxiǔ)
• 朽株枯木
• 枯乾 / 枯干 (kūgān)
• 枯井 (kūjǐng)
• 枯坐 (kūzuò)
• 枯寂 (kūjì)
• 枯形灰心
• 枯旱
• 枯木 (kūmù)
• 枯木朽株
• 枯木死灰
• 枯木生花
• 枯木逢春 (kūmùféngchūn)
• 枯朽 (kūxiǔ)
• 枯枝再春
• 枯楊生稊 / 枯杨生稊
• 枯楊生華 / 枯杨生华
• 枯槁 (kūgǎo)
• 枯榮 / 枯荣
• 枯樁 / 枯桩
• 枯樹生華 / 枯树生华
• 枯樹開花 / 枯树开花
• 枯死 (kūsǐ)
• 枯水期
• 枯涸
• 枯澀 / 枯涩 (kūsè)
• 枯燥 (kūzào)
• 枯燥無味 / 枯燥无味
• 枯瘠
• 枯礬 / 枯矾
• 枯禪 / 枯禅
• 枯窘
• 枯竭 (kūjié)
• 枯索 (kūsuǒ)
• 枯腸 / 枯肠
• 枯莖朽骨 / 枯茎朽骨 (kūjīngxiǔgǔ)
• 枯萎 (kūwěi)
• 枯葉蝶 / 枯叶蝶
• 枯骨
• 枯魚 / 枯鱼
• 枯魚之肆 / 枯鱼之肆
• 枯魚涸轍 / 枯鱼涸辙
• 枯魚病鶴 / 枯鱼病鹤
• 枯魚銜索 / 枯鱼衔索
• 枯黃 / 枯黄 (kūhuáng)
• 根朽枝枯
• 榮枯 / 荣枯 (róngkū)
• 油枯 (yóukū)
• 油盡燈枯 / 油尽灯枯
• 海枯石爛 / 海枯石烂 (hǎikūshílàn)
• 涸轍之枯 / 涸辙之枯
• 涸轍枯魚 / 涸辙枯鱼
• 澤及枯骨 / 泽及枯骨
• 焦枯
• 熬枯受淡
• 生枯起朽
• 瘦小枯乾 / 瘦小枯干
• 白如枯骨
• 盛衰榮枯 / 盛衰荣枯
• 石枯松老
• 石爛海枯 / 石烂海枯
• 立枯病
• 索盡枯腸 / 索尽枯肠
• 老樹枯柴 / 老树枯柴
• 腸枯思竭 / 肠枯思竭
• 菀枯
• 菊老荷枯
• 釜底枯魚 / 釜底枯鱼
• 集苑集枯
• 麻枯

Japanese

Kanji

枯

(Jōyō kanji)

1. wither; dry up

Readings

• Go-on: く (ku)
• Kan-on: こ (ko, Jōyō)
• Kun: かれる (kareru, 枯れる, Jōyō)、からす (karasu, 枯らす, Jōyō)

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 枯 (MC khu).

Historical readings

• Recorded as Middle Korean 콩 (Yale: khwoG) in Gugeupbangeonhae (救急方諺解 / 구급방언해), 1466.

Hanja

枯 (eumhun 마를 고 (mareul go))

1. hanja form^? of 고 (“dry up, wither”)
2. hanja form^? of 고 (“thirst”)

Vietnamese

Nom glyph origin

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, gỗ): semantic 木 (“wood, tree”) + phonetic 古 (cổ).

Han character

枯: Hán Việt readings: khô
枯: Nôm readings: khô, gỗ, khò, khua

1. chữ Hán form of khô (“dry, dried”)
2. chữ Nôm form of gỗ (“wood”)