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宇宙

yǔzhòu
noun HSK 7-9 #2,403

Meanings

  1. 1 universe
  2. 2 cosmos

Characters

宇
yǔ
space; eaves; universe
宙
zhòu
time; eternity
宇 originally meant 'all of space' and 宙 meant 'all of time' - together they encompass everything

Examples

HSK 5
宇宙是无限大的吗？
Yǔzhòu shì wúxiàn dà de ma?
Is the universe infinitely large?
HSK 5
宇宙中有无数颗星星。
Yǔzhòu zhōng yǒu wúshù kē xīngxing.
There are countless stars in the universe.
HSK 6
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.

Tips

history
The Warring States text 尸子 (by Shi Jiao, 尸佼) defines 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