宇宙

yǔzhòu

noun HSK 7-9 #2,403

Meanings

1 universe
2 cosmos

Characters

space; eaves; universe

宇 originally meant 'all of space' and 宙 meant 'all of time' — together they encompass everything

Examples

宇宙是无限大的吗？

Yǔzhòu shì wúxiàn dà de ma?

Is the universe infinitely large?

人类对宇宙的探索从未停止。

Rénlèi duì yǔzhòu de tànsuǒ cóngwèi tíngzhǐ.

Humanity's exploration of the universe has never stopped.

宇宙中有无数颗星星。

Yǔzhòu zhōng yǒu wúshù kē xīngxīng.

There are countless stars in the universe.

Tips

history

The philosopher Shi Shen defined 宇 as 'all of space in every direction' and 宙 as 'all of time past and future.' This ancient concept predates modern cosmology by millennia.

Stroke Order

宇 yǔ

宙 zhòu