About
The character 欧 (traditional: 歐) is a phono-semantic compound. The right side features the radical 欠 (qiàn), which depicts an open mouth or the act of exhaling, providing the semantic category. The left side is the phonetic component 区 (qū), meaning "region", with its traditional form being the more complex 區. Originally, 欧 meant to vomit or expel something from the mouth, directly drawing on the imagery of the 欠 radical. This physical sense is now archaic. In modern Chinese, the character serves almost entirely as a phonetic loan. It is used to transliterate the first syllable of "Europe", becoming the standard abbreviation for the continent and its culture, and is also a moderately common surname.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
欧洲有很多国家。
欧元是欧洲的货币。
我喜欢欧洲的风景。
他计划明年去欧洲旅行。
欧洲文化历史悠久而丰富。
这家公司主要面向欧洲市场。
欧盟由多个欧洲国家组成。
欧洲文艺复兴对世界影响深远。