• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EST 01:47
CET 07:47
KST 15:47
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
RSL Revival - 2025 Season Finals Preview8RSL Season 3 - Playoffs Preview0RSL Season 3 - RO16 Groups C & D Preview0RSL Season 3 - RO16 Groups A & B Preview2TL.net Map Contest #21: Winners12
Community News
ComeBackTV's documentary on Byun's Career !9Weekly Cups (Dec 8-14): MaxPax, Clem, Cure win4Weekly Cups (Dec 1-7): Clem doubles, Solar gets over the hump1Weekly Cups (Nov 24-30): MaxPax, Clem, herO win2BGE Stara Zagora 2026 announced15
StarCraft 2
General
Micro Lags When Playing SC2? ComeBackTV's documentary on Byun's Career ! When will we find out if there are more tournament Weekly Cups (Dec 8-14): MaxPax, Clem, Cure win RSL Revival - 2025 Season Finals Preview
Tourneys
$100 Prize Pool - Winter Warp Gate Masters Showdow $5,000+ WardiTV 2025 Championship Winter Warp Gate Amateur Showdown #1 Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament RSL Offline Finals Info - Dec 13 and 14!
Strategy
Custom Maps
Map Editor closed ?
External Content
Mutation # 504 Retribution Mutation # 503 Fowl Play Mutation # 502 Negative Reinforcement Mutation # 501 Price of Progress
Brood War
General
Klaucher discontinued / in-game color settings Anyone remember me from 2000s Bnet EAST server? BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ How Rain Became ProGamer in Just 3 Months FlaSh on: Biggest Problem With SnOw's Playstyle
Tourneys
[BSL21] LB QuarterFinals - Sunday 21:00 CET Small VOD Thread 2.0 [Megathread] Daily Proleagues [BSL21] WB SEMIFINALS - Saturday 21:00 CET
Strategy
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Game Theory for Starcraft Current Meta Fighting Spirit mining rates
Other Games
General Games
Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread General RTS Discussion Thread Nintendo Switch Thread Mechabellum PC Games Sales Thread
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
Mafia Game Mode Feedback/Ideas Survivor II: The Amazon Sengoku Mafia TL Mafia Community Thread
Community
General
The Games Industry And ATVI US Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine YouTube Thread
Fan Clubs
White-Ra Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Anime Discussion Thread [Manga] One Piece Movie Discussion!
Sports
2024 - 2026 Football Thread Formula 1 Discussion
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
TL+ Announced Where to ask questions and add stream?
Blogs
The (Hidden) Drug Problem in…
TrAiDoS
I decided to write a webnov…
DjKniteX
James Bond movies ranking - pa…
Topin
Thanks for the RSL
Hildegard
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 1718 users

"GOSU"- what does it really mean?

Forum Index > General Forum
Post a Reply
westvolk
Profile Joined November 2005
United States29 Posts
December 27 2005 22:06 GMT
#1
This is one of those words I find myself using without really knowing what it means. Of course I got a general idea, but today I looked it up to find out its real meaning. Google returned this:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gosu&page=1

There is a lot of bullshit on that site, but I wonder if someone here knows enough korean to know if that information in definition #5 or #7 is accurate.

PS> you gotta love definition #25 "like the German word 'chobo'" - yeah, right
ApollyoN
Profile Joined April 2003
United States1297 Posts
December 27 2005 22:08 GMT
#2
Literally translated it means 'high hand', but is used to call someone an expert.
StarN
Profile Blog Joined November 2004
United States2587 Posts
Last Edited: 2005-12-27 22:14:57
December 27 2005 22:14 GMT
#3
my korean cousin[more korean than me] tells me it's just korean for elite
Retired BW Noob
Noun
Profile Joined March 2005
United States1026 Posts
Last Edited: 2005-12-27 22:24:15
December 27 2005 22:17 GMT
#4
First of all, there're two meanings of the word "Su"
1. A move that is usually made in board games
2. Basically hands

and "Go" simply means, High

So, Gosu means "high move", or a move that can be made only by an expert.
I know that you guys all think "gosu" means "high hand" but it really means "high move"
westvolk
Profile Joined November 2005
United States29 Posts
December 27 2005 22:22 GMT
#5
On December 28 2005 07:17 wu wrote:
I know that you guys all think "gosu" means "high hand" but it really means "high move"


Thanks wu. And that makes more sense, too - at least from my perspective. It's our actions that define us, not our intentions*.

* "hand" interpreted as signal or intention.

Wow, deep stuff.
Programmer
Profile Joined February 2004
Canada250 Posts
December 27 2005 22:33 GMT
#6
The word comes from the Mandarin Chinese term "gao shou" (高手), which also literally means high hand. A gao shou is someone with a large amount of skill.
Hot_Bid
Profile Blog Joined October 2003
Braavos36388 Posts
December 27 2005 22:38 GMT
#7
programmer is right on with the chinese term

not sure if that's where the korean word originated from, probably means something similar
@Hot_Bid on Twitter - ESPORTS life since 2010 - http://i.imgur.com/U2psw.png
Night[Mare
Profile Blog Joined December 2004
Mexico4793 Posts
December 27 2005 22:38 GMT
#8
i like more the def. #1 =)
Teamliquidian townie
OzMiTa
Profile Joined January 2004
Spain95 Posts
December 27 2005 22:39 GMT
#9
God of the Starcraft Universe, according to Wikipedia.org
Unforgiven_ve
Profile Blog Joined August 2004
Venezuela1232 Posts
December 27 2005 22:42 GMT
#10
1st Definition

A sub-human who sacrifices his or her social and sex life in exchange for ungodly Starcraft or Warcraft abilities. There have been actual cases where many 'gosu' players had starved to death because of playing Starcraft for too long.

Gosu: "Hahahaha! I can make 82973 zerglings before you can even send your SCVs to the minerals! I'm the best! I FEAR NOTHING!"
You: "...except natural light."


loool!!!
:)
oneofthem
Profile Blog Joined November 2005
Cayman Islands24199 Posts
Last Edited: 2005-12-27 22:59:21
December 27 2005 22:59 GMT
#11
On December 28 2005 07:17 wu wrote:
First of all, there're two meanings of the word "Su"
1. A move that is usually made in board games
2. Basically hands

and "Go" simply means, High

So, Gosu means "high move", or a move that can be made only by an expert.
I know that you guys all think "gosu" means "high hand" but it really means "high move"
so su is move eh? sounds about right
We have fed the heart on fantasies, the heart's grown brutal from the fare, more substance in our enmities than in our love
oneofthem
Profile Blog Joined November 2005
Cayman Islands24199 Posts
December 27 2005 23:11 GMT
#12
On December 28 2005 07:22 westvolk wrote:
Show nested quote +
On December 28 2005 07:17 wu wrote:
I know that you guys all think "gosu" means "high hand" but it really means "high move"


Thanks wu. And that makes more sense, too - at least from my perspective. It's our actions that define us, not our intentions*.

* "hand" interpreted as signal or intention.

Wow, deep stuff.
I disagree. Intentions define more htan actions.
We have fed the heart on fantasies, the heart's grown brutal from the fare, more substance in our enmities than in our love
zrucrem
Profile Joined September 2005
Afghanistan425 Posts
December 27 2005 23:22 GMT
#13
get your facts straight

im korean

gosu = experienced
chobo = inexperienced
:D?!
dronebabo
Profile Blog Joined December 2003
10866 Posts
December 28 2005 01:15 GMT
#14
--- Nuked ---
SoMuchBetter
Profile Blog Joined April 2003
Australia10606 Posts
Last Edited: 2005-12-28 01:30:18
December 28 2005 01:26 GMT
#15
gosu in korean
gao shou in chinese
jouzu in japanese
the vietnamese is also very similar but i cant remember it off the top of my head.

the kanji for the japanese version literally translates as high hand as well

On December 28 2005 07:17 wu wrote:
First of all, there're two meanings of the word "Su"
1. A move that is usually made in board games
2. Basically hands

and "Go" simply means, High

So, Gosu means "high move", or a move that can be made only by an expert.
I know that you guys all think "gosu" means "high hand" but it really means "high move"


the hand is symbolic of work, so when you think about it, translating gosu as high hand makes perfect sense
AUSSIESCUM
TeamLiquid eSTROgeneral #1 • RIP
westvolk
Profile Joined November 2005
United States29 Posts
December 28 2005 01:45 GMT
#16
So literally it means "high hand". It encapsulates great skill, expertly conduct, may be even "commanding respect"?

If I would try to translate it as one word, I guess the only english translation would have to be "elite", right?
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 3h 14m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
WinterStarcraft682
Nina 150
StarCraft: Brood War
Shuttle 543
Leta 267
Mong 48
Noble 20
JulyZerg 16
Sea 0
Dota 2
NeuroSwarm75
LuMiX1
League of Legends
JimRising 616
Heroes of the Storm
Khaldor169
Other Games
summit1g10407
Mew2King107
RuFF_SC286
Models4
Organizations
Other Games
gamesdonequick712
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 12 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• Berry_CruncH264
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
Other Games
• Scarra1732
Upcoming Events
Sparkling Tuna Cup
3h 14m
Ladder Legends
10h 14m
BSL 21
13h 14m
StRyKeR vs TBD
Bonyth vs TBD
Replay Cast
1d 2h
Wardi Open
1d 5h
Monday Night Weeklies
1d 10h
WardiTV Invitational
3 days
Replay Cast
4 days
WardiTV Invitational
4 days
ByuN vs Solar
Clem vs Classic
Cure vs herO
Reynor vs MaxPax
Replay Cast
5 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Acropolis #4 - TS3
RSL Offline Finals
Kuram Kup

Ongoing

C-Race Season 1
IPSL Winter 2025-26
KCM Race Survival 2025 Season 4
YSL S2
BSL Season 21
Slon Tour Season 2
CSL Season 19: Qualifier 1
WardiTV 2025
META Madness #9
eXTREMESLAND 2025
SL Budapest Major 2025
ESL Impact League Season 8
BLAST Rivals Fall 2025
IEM Chengdu 2025
PGL Masters Bucharest 2025
Thunderpick World Champ.
CS Asia Championships 2025
ESL Pro League S22

Upcoming

CSL Season 19: Qualifier 2
CSL 2025 WINTER (S19)
BSL 21 Non-Korean Championship
Acropolis #4
IPSL Spring 2026
Bellum Gens Elite Stara Zagora 2026
HSC XXVIII
Big Gabe Cup #3
OSC Championship Season 13
Nations Cup 2026
ESL Pro League Season 23
PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026
IEM Kraków 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter Qual
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2025 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.