Definition
宙 (zhòu) is a bound form (b.f.) that appears almost exclusively in the compound 宇宙 (yǔzhòu, 'universe, cosmos'). In classical Chinese it referred to 'all time, past, present and future' — the temporal dimension of the cosmos, paired with 宇 (space). As a standalone character it is not used in modern Chinese; you will only encounter it as part of 宇宙 or related scientific/poetic terms like 宙斯 (Zeus, transliteration).
b.f.
(bound form) timethe temporal dimension of the universe (only in compounds, chiefly 宇宙)
Examples
- 。Kēxuéjiā zhèngzài tànsuǒ yǔzhòu de qǐyuán.Scientists are exploring the origin of the universe.
- 。Rénlèi duì yǔzhòu de liǎojiě hái hěn yǒuxiàn.Human understanding of the universe is still very limited.
- 。Zhè běn xiǎoshuō jiǎngshù le yí gè píngxíng yǔzhòu de gùshì.This novel tells the story of a parallel universe.
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