Usage of the character 故

Mukden Palace, aka Shenyang Imperial Palace, the main imperial palace during the early years of the Qing dynasty (1625-1644), a secondary palace in subsequent years, now a museum

yīgǎigùzhé

一改故辙

[一改故轍]

complete change from the old rut (idiom); dramatic change of direction
a volte-face
to change old practices

gùnòngxuánxū

故弄玄虚

[故弄玄虛]

deliberately mystifying
to make sth unnecessarily complicated

tǔgùnàxīn

吐故纳新

[吐故納新]

lit. to breathe out stale air and breathe in fresh (idiom, from Zhuangzi 莊子／庄子 ( Zhuāngzǐ)); fig. to get rid of the old and bring in the new

wúyuánwúgù

无缘无故

[無緣無故]

no cause, no reason (idiom); completely uncalled for

gùjiùbùqì

故旧不弃

[故舊不棄]

do not neglect old friends

róngguīgùlǐ

荣归故里

[榮歸故里]

to return home with honor

gùbùzìfēng

故步自封

[故步自封]

stuck in the old ways (idiom); refusing to acknowledge new ideas
stagnating and conservative

lǎoyúshìgù

老于世故

[老於世故]

experienced in the ways of the world (idiom); worldly-wise
sophisticated

zuāngùzhǐduī

钻故纸堆

[鑽故紙堆]

to dig into piles of outdated writings (idiom); to study old books and papers

yǐzuògùrén

已作故人

[已作故人]

to have passed away

dǎochángxígù

蹈常袭故

[蹈常襲故]

follow the same old path (idiom); stuck in a rut
always the same routine

fēiqīnfēigù

非亲非故

[非親非故]

lit. neither a relative nor a friend (idiom)
fig. unrelated to one another in any way

gùzuòduānzhuāng

故作端庄

[故作端莊]

artificial show of seriousness
to pretend to be solemn

shénhuàgùshi

神话故事

[神話故事]

mythical story; myth

chéngyǔdiǎngù

成语典故

[成語典故]

historical or literary anecdote that gives rise to a saying

bùzhīhégù

不知何故

[不知何故]

somehow

gùzhàngpáichú

故障排除

[故障排除]

fault resolution
trouble clearing

bù'ānshìgù

不谙世故

[不諳世故]

unworldly
unsophisticated

gùtàifùméng

故态复萌

[故態復萌]

to revert to old ways

gùzuòzītài

故作姿态

[故作姿態]

to put on an act

píngbáiwúgù

凭白无故

[憑白無故]

variant of 平白無故／平白无故 (píngbáiwúgù)

wēngùzhīxīn

温故知新

[溫故知新]

to review the old and know the new (idiom, from the Analects)
to recall the past to understand the future

gégùdǐngxīn

革故鼎新

[革故鼎新]

to discard the old and introduce the new (idiom); to innovate

bùzhǔgùcháng

不主故常

[不主故常]

not to stick to the old conventions

jìshùgùzhàng

技术故障

[技術故障]

technical breakdown
malfunction

pānqīndàogù

攀亲道故

[攀親道故]

(idiom) to use claims to kinship or friendship to climb socially

tónghuàgùshì

童话故事

[童話故事]

fairy tale

yīrángùwǒ

依然故我

[依然故我]

to be one's old self (idiom)
to be unchanged
(derog.) to be stuck in one's ways

rénshēnshìgù

人身事故

[人身事故]

accident causing injury or death

páichágùzhàng

排查故障

[排查故障]

to troubleshoot
to check components individually for problems
troubleshooting

píngbáiwúgù

平白无故

[平白無故]

(idiom) for no reason whatever; inexplicably

mínjiāngùshi

民间故事

[民間故事]

folk story
folktale

sānqīnliùgù

三亲六故

[三親六故]

old friends and relatives

gùdìchóngyóu

故地重游

[故地重遊]

to revisit old haunts (idiom); down memory lane

yùqíngùzòng

欲擒故纵

[欲擒故縱]

In order to capture, one must let loose.
to loosen the reins only to grasp them better

tāxiāngyùgùzhī

他乡遇故知

[他鄉遇故知]

meeting an old friend in a foreign place (idiom)

Gùgōng Bówùyuàn

故宫博物院

[故宮博物院]

Palace Museum, in the Forbidden City, Beijing
National Palace Museum, Taipei

wēngù'érzhīxīn

温故而知新

[溫故而知新]

to review the old and know the new (idiom, from the Analects)
to recall the past to understand the future

Kǎntèbóléi Gùshì Jí

坎特伯雷故事集

[坎特伯雷故事集]

The Canterbury Tales, collection of stories by Geoffrey Chaucer 喬叟／乔叟 ( Qiáosǒu)

Máo Zédōng: Xiānwéirénzhīde Gùshi

毛泽东：鲜为人知的故事

[毛澤東：鮮為人知的故事]

Mao: The Unknown Story by Jung Chang 張戎／张戎 ( Zhāng Róng) and Jon Halliday