宇 yǔ — room; universe
宇宙里有数不清的星星。Yǔ zhòu lǐ yǒu shǔ bu qīng de xīng xing.There are countless stars in the universe.
Common words: 宇宙 (yǔ zhòu)、宇航员 (yǔ háng yuán)、气宇 (qì yǔ)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "universe"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "universe", including 宇 (yǔ), 宙 (zhòu). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "universe" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 宇 (yǔ), 宙 (zhòu) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span yǔ, zhòu — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 宇 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 宇 yǔroom; universeUseful words: 宇宙, 宇航员
- 宙 zhòuuniverseUseful words: 宇宙, 隐生宙
Common words for these 2 "universe" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 宇 (yǔ) — so "universe" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "universe".
宙 zhòu — universe
宇宙中有无数的恒星和行星。Yǔ zhòu zhōng yǒu wú shù de héng xīng hé xíng xīng.There are countless stars and planets in the universe.
Common words: 宇宙 (yǔ zhòu)、隐生宙 (yǐn shēng zhòu)、宇宙学 (yǔ zhòu xué)
All 2 characters
Open 宇、宙 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.