孤

Also a humble first-person pronoun once used by feudal lords.

Phono-semantic compound consisting of:

子 (아들 자) — semantic element meaning “child.”

瓜 (오이 과) — phonetic element, supplying the sound gū and the image of something separated or detached (a vine fruit severed from its stem).

Hence, 孤 depicts a child separated from its origin — the etymological basis of “orphan” and later “alone.”

孤兒 (고아) — orphan

孤單 (고단) — lonely, solitary

孤立 (고립) — isolation, standing alone

孤獨 (고독) — solitude, loneliness

孑孑孤孤 (혈혈고고) — utterly alone, desolate

孤軍奮鬪 (고군분투) — to fight alone; solitary struggle

In the Spring and Autumn period, feudal rulers referred to themselves as 孤 (the lonely one) to express modest awareness of their isolation in responsibility.

孤不敢忘國憂。

“I, the solitary one, dare not forget the concerns of the state.”

This humble tone symbolized the ruler’s burden of leadership — alone at the summit, separated from ordinary companionship, yet accountable for all.

In Confucian ethics, 孤 evokes the image of the righteous person standing alone (獨立不懈) — one who upholds virtue without external support.

君子居世，如孤松立雪。

“The noble man stands in the world like a lone pine amid snow.”

Thus, 孤 signifies not merely abandonment but moral steadfastness in solitude.

In poetry and prose, 孤 conveys a range of emotions — from existential solitude to dignified independence.

It is often paired with 獨 (alone) or 寂 (quiet) to evoke refined melancholy (고독, 적寂).

孤雲獨去閒。 — Li Bai, “Seeing Meng Haoran off to Guangling”

“A lone cloud drifts away in leisure.”

Here 孤 merges with imagery of detachment and freedom, transcending sorrow to imply self-sufficiency and transcendence.