故 (gù)

happening; instance; reason; cause; intentional; former; old; friend;

HSK 3.1 level 7
9 strokes

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 攵 represents the meaning and 古 represents the sound.

Shuowen Jiezi

《說文》：“故，使為之也。从攴，古聲。”

Components

古 (sound)
攵 (meaning) — 攵 is a component form of 攴.