馘 (guó) - Guó — to cut off the left ear & war trophy

馘Tone 2

guó ｜ 17 strokes ｜ radical:

枫惠

馘 · guó

Guó — to cut off the left ear of a slain enemy as proof of kill in ancient warfare;

war trophy;

decapitation.

Guó — to cut off the left earwar trophydecapitation.

Usage highlights

War trophyCollect enemy earsDecapitation countMilitary meritEnemy casualtiesBattle report

Synonyms

  • 斩— behead, chop
  • 杀— kill
  • 歼— annihilate, destroy

Antonyms

  • 生— life, living
  • 救— rescue, save
  • 护— protect, guard

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • In ancient battles, soldiers would collect ears (馘) as proof of kills.
  • The general tallied the war trophies (献馘) after the victory.
  • Historical records mention ear collection (执馘) as military practice.
  • The character appears in classical texts describing warfare (斩馘).

Collocations

  • War trophy(献馘)
  • Collect enemy ears(执馘)
  • Decapitation count(斩馘)
  • Military merit(馘功)
  • Enemy casualties(歼馘)
  • Battle report(奏馘)

Idioms

  • To decapitate the enemy and present the heads(斩馘献俘)
  • Counting war trophies to determine merit(计功行馘)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Ancient Chinese military practice of collecting left ears from slain enemies as proof for reward distribution.
  • Mentioned in classical texts like Zuo Zhuan and Shijing as part of warfare rituals.
  • Reflects the brutal reality of ancient warfare and reward systems.
  • The character combines 首 (head) and 或 (weapon), indicating decapitation or ear removal.

FAQ