谷歌
Gǔgē
The English verb 'to google' is translated into Chinese as 谷歌 (Gǔgē).
谷歌 is used to refer to the company or the specific search engine. To describe the general act of performing an internet search on any engine, you would use the related form 搜索.
Meaning: to search for (something) on the Internet using any comprehensive search engine (verb)
Which one should you use?
谷歌 refers specifically to the Google brand, whereas 搜索 is the general verb for 'to search' on any search engine.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To use 谷歌 as a verb meaning 'to google something,' it is common to add the particle 一下 after it, forming the phrase 谷歌一下.
How do you pronounce it?
Gǔgē
Did you know?
- While 谷歌 is the official name, some early users in the Chinese-speaking world referred to the engine as 古狗, which means 'ancient dog'.
- In China, many people use the phrase 百度一下 (Bǎidù yīxià) instead of 谷歌一下, even when they are performing a general search.
- The name 谷歌 is a 'phono-semantic' match, meaning the characters were chosen both for their sound and for a sense of meaning.
Examples in context
- 我认识的每个人都用谷歌。Everyone I know uses Google.This sentence is useful for showing how people use 谷歌 in a sentence.Tatoeba #5780587 by verdastelo9604, translation #4499677 by CK
- 我一有问题就用谷歌查一下。Whenever I have a question, I just Google it.This sentence is useful for showing how to use 谷歌 as a verb for a quick search.Tatoeba #2367585 by GlossaMatik, translation #2367586 by eastasiastudent
- 我也不喜欢谷歌翻译，但是我经常会使用它作为参考。I don't like Google Translate either, but I always use it for reference.This sentence is useful for mentioning 谷歌 in the context of translation services.Tatoeba #1790206 by sadhen, translation #11298156 by Aphima
- 请问，我怎样使用谷歌地图找到这个地方？May I ask, how can I use Google Maps to find this place?
- 谷歌是一家全球知名的科技公司。Google is a globally renowned tech company.
- 我在谷歌上找到了一个有用的网站。I found a useful website on Google.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two students are researching a topic for a school project.
- 浩然 Haoran关于这个，你谷歌了一下吗？guānyú zhège, nǐ gǔgē le yīxià ma?Did you google this?
- 梓涵 Zihan还没，我正准备谷歌搜搜看。hái méi, wǒ zhèng zhǔnbèi gǔgē sōusōu kàn.Not yet, I'm just about to google it.
- 浩然 Haoran好的，你快点谷歌查一下。hǎo de, nǐ kuài diǎn gǔgē chá yīxià.Okay, go ahead and google it quickly.
- 梓涵 Zihan找到了，谷歌上有很多相关资料。zhǎo dào le, gǔgē shàng yǒu hěnduō xiāngguān zīliào.Found it, there is a lot of relevant information on Google.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 谷歌, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
