悠久

yōujiǔ

adjective HSK 7-9 #15,022

Meanings

1 long-standing; age-old
2 of long duration

Characters

long; drawn-out; leisurely

Both characters emphasize duration — together they convey something stretching far back in time.

Examples

中国有悠久的历史。

Zhōngguó yǒu yōujiǔ de lìshǐ.

China has a long history.

这座城市有悠久的文化传统。

Zhè zuò chéngshì yǒu yōujiǔ de wénhuà chuántǒng.

This city has a long-standing cultural tradition.

Tips

usage

悠久 almost always appears with 历史 (lìshǐ, history) or 传统 (chuántǒng, tradition). The phrase '悠久的历史' is so common it's practically a fixed expression. You'll hear it in every documentary about China.

Stroke Order

悠 yōu

久 jiǔ