估 (gū) is a Chinese character meaning “to estimate”. It is written from 亻 (person (the form 人 takes on the left)) and 古 (old; ancient), side by side, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “to estimate”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
亻 + 古
Left–right structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分 ⿰亻古，按 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（亻2 + 古5 = 估7）
Memory aid
A person (亻) picking up something old (古) at a market stall and working out what it is worth — that is estimating.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 估计gū jìto estimate; to reckon估 = gūHSK 4
- 低估dī gūto underestimate估 = gū
Go deeper
All readings
to estimate
to estimate; to appraise; to reckon the value of something
对数量、价值或情况作出大致的推断。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 估计gū jìto estimate; to reckon估 = gūHSK 4
- 低估dī gūto underestimate估 = gū
Sound component
古 family tone diff
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 估 mean?
估 (gū) means to estimate; to appraise; to reckon the value of something.
How do you pronounce 估?
It is pronounced gū.
What parts is 估 made of?
亻 (person (the form 人 takes on the left)) and 古 (old; ancient), side by side. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分 ⿰亻古，按 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（亻2 + 古5 = 估7）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 估 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 估?
人. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 估?
Common ones are 估计 and 低估. The reading of 估 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.