圀 (guó) - An ancient variant form of the character 國

圀Tone 2

guó ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical: 囗

枫惠

圀 · guó

An ancient variant form of the character 國 (guó), meaning 'country', 'nation', or 'state'.

An ancient variant form of the character 國

Usage highlights

Ancient character for countryWu Zetian's created characterHistorical variant of 國Medieval Chinese scriptEpigraphic usage

Synonyms

  • 國— country, nation (standard form)
  • 邦— state, nation
  • 邦國— nation, country

Antonyms

  • 家— family, home (as opposed to state)
  • 民— people, citizens (as opposed to state apparatus)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • This character is an ancient form for 'country' (圀).
  • It was created during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian (武则天).
  • The character appears in some historical texts and inscriptions (碑文).
  • Rarely used in modern contexts except for historical reference.

Collocations

  • Ancient character for country(古圀字)
  • Wu Zetian's created character(则天文字)
  • Historical variant of 國(圀字)
  • Medieval Chinese script(中古汉字)
  • Epigraphic usage(碑刻使用)

Idioms

  • No common idioms use this character as it is obsolete.

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Created during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian (c. 690–705 CE) as part of her script reforms.
  • One of several characters invented or modified during her reign to assert her authority and break with tradition.
  • The character combines 八 (eight), 方 (directions), and 口 (enclosure), symbolizing 'encompassing all directions'.
  • Fell out of common use after Wu Zetian's reign but occasionally appears in historical contexts.

FAQ