gū孤isolatedlòu陋shallowguǎ寡fewwén闻hear
Ignorant and ill-informed; having little knowledge.
Literal meaning
isolated (孤) — shallow (陋) — few (寡) — hear (闻)
Origin
A classical four-character phrase describing a lack of knowledge and experience.
Examples
wǒ我gū孤lòu陋guǎ寡wén闻，qǐng请duō多duō多zhǐ指jiào教。
I am ignorant and ill-informed, please enlighten me.
tā他gū孤lòu陋guǎ寡wén闻，duì对shì世jiè界yī一wú无suǒ所zhī知。
He is ignorant and knows nothing about the world.
Usage & nuances
Often used to express humility or self-deprecation.
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