宙

zhòu

宀 + 由

Definitions

zhòu (noun) eternity

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 宀 represents the meaning and 由 represents the sound.

Semantic: 宀 Phonetic: 由

About

The character 宙 is a phono-semantic compound: the roof radical 宀 provides the meaning, and 由 gives the sound. Although 宀 typically indicates a physical dwelling or enclosure, 宙 extended its sense to the boundless continuum of time, past, present, and future. It now appears almost exclusively with 宇 (denoting infinite space) in the compound 宇宙, which means the universe or cosmos, uniting the concepts of infinite time and infinite space.

Etymology Hide

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

宇宙很大。

Yǔzhòu hěn dà.

The universe is very big.

我们探索宇宙的奥秘。

Wǒmen tànsuǒ yǔzhòu de àomì.

We explore the mysteries of the universe.

宇宙飞船飞向了太空。

Yǔzhòu fēichuán fēi xiàng le tàikōng.

The spaceship flew into space.

他对宇宙科学很感兴趣。

Tā duì yǔzhòu kēxué hěn gǎn xìngqù.

He is very interested in space science.

宇宙中存在着无数星系。

Yǔzhòu zhōng cúnzài zhe wúshù xīngxì.

Countless galaxies exist in the universe.

宇宙尘埃是星球形成的材料。

Yǔzhòu chén'āi shì xīngqiú xíngchéng de cáiliào.

Cosmic dust is the material for the formation of stars.

神话中的宙斯掌管着天空。

Shénhuà zhōng de Zhòusī zhǎngguǎn zhe tiānkōng.

Zeus in mythology rules over the sky.

宇宙的浩瀚常令人类感到自身渺小。

Yǔzhòu de hàohàn cháng lìng rénlèi gǎndào zìshēn miǎoxiǎo.

The vastness of the universe often makes humanity feel insignificant.

Related Characters

Component: 宀

Component: 由

宙