宇宙

• Pinyin: yǔ zhòu
• Hanzi breakdown: 宇 = 宀 + 于 (roof + phonetic — the vault of space in all directions); 宙 = 宀 + 由 (roof + phonetic — all time, from past to future)

Meaning

The universe; the cosmos. The totality of space, time, matter, energy, and the physical laws governing them.

Used in both scientific and philosophical contexts. In classical Chinese, 宇 referred to spatial extension in all directions and 宙 to temporal extension through all time, together constituting the totality of existence. In modern usage: 宇宙起源 (cosmological origin), 宇宙观 (worldview/cosmology), 宇宙飞船 (spacecraft). Also used metaphorically for something vast and all-encompassing.

Examples

1. 现代宇宙学关注宇宙的成分、早期状态、暗物质暗能量，以及是否存在边界或平行宇宙。 Modern cosmology focuses on the composition of the universe, its early state, dark matter and dark energy, and whether there is a boundary or parallel universes.
2. 中国古代哲学更从气化流行和阴阳消长来理解宇宙的生成与运行。 Ancient Chinese philosophy understood the generation and operation of the universe more through the flow of qi and the waxing and waning of yin and yang.
3. 这位物理学家说，太阳系在银河系中很普通，银河系在可观测宇宙里也并不特殊。 The physicist said that our solar system is ordinary in the Milky Way, and the Milky Way is not special in the observable universe either.

Usage Guide

Context: science, philosophy, cosmology, education

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 量子力学和广义相对论在各自尺度上都极其准确，但在宇宙极端条件下却不相容。(Quantum mechanics and general relativity are both extremely accurate within their own scales, but they are incompatible under extreme conditions in the universe.)
• 从宇宙演化看，碳基生命和智慧文明只是特定条件下的局部涌现。(From the evolution of the universe, carbon-based life and intelligent civilization are only local emergent phenomena under specific conditions.)

Don't Say

• 这家公司的宇宙很大 — 宇宙 in Chinese does not carry the English metaphorical sense of 'universe' as in 'Marvel Universe' or 'brand universe'; use 世界 (world), 体系 (system), or 生态圈 (ecosystem) for such commercial metaphors in Chinese

Origin & History

宇 (space/canopy — 宀roof + 于 phonetic, the vault of heaven, all space) + 宙 (time — 宀roof + 由 phonetic, from past to future). Classical: space + time = the totality of existence.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal