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Kotomora

宇

eaves, roof, house, heaven

JLPTN2StatusJōyō · grade 6FrequencyTop 1,000Strokes6

Readings

On'yomi

  • ウ

Kun'yomi

—

Nanori

  • いえ
  • たか
  • ひろ
  • ひろし

Meaning

宇 centers on a large covering that defines a space: the eaves or roof of a house, and by extension the overarching expanse of heaven.

Most common words using 宇

20 of 171
  • 宇宙うちゅう
    N4

    universe; cosmos; space

  • 宇都宮うつのみや

    Utsunomiya (city in Tochigi)

  • 宇宙船うちゅうせん

    spaceship

  • 羅宇ラウ

    bamboo stem (of a Japanese pipe)

  • 宇う

    counter for buildings, roofs, tents, etc.

  • 小宇宙しょううちゅう

    microcosmos; microcosm

  • 宇都宮線うつのみやせん

    Utsunomiya Line

  • 一宇いちう

    one house; one roof

  • 宇賀神うがじん

    god of harvests and wealth (syncretized with Saraswati, and often taking the form of a heavenly woman, a white snake or a fox)

  • 堂宇どうう

    edifice; temple; hall

  • 宇都宮大学うつのみやだいがく

    Utsunomiya University

  • 宇宙飛行士うちゅうひこうし
    N2

    astronaut

  • 宇宙開発事業団うちゅうかいはつじぎょうだん

    National Space Development Agency; NASDA

  • 宇宙開発うちゅうかいはつ

    space development; space exploration

  • 宇宙空間うちゅうくうかん

    (outer) space

  • 大宇宙だいうちゅう

    macrocosmos; macrocosm; the universe; the cosmos

  • 宇宙通信うちゅうつうしん

    space communication

  • 航空宇宙技術研究所こうくううちゅうぎじゅつけんきゅうじょ

    National Aerospace Laboratory; NAL

  • アインシュタイン宇宙アインシュタインうちゅう

    Einsteinian universe

  • アメリカ宇宙軍アメリカうちゅうぐん

    United States Space Force

Explore all words using 宇 →

Study

Etymology

宇 combines 宀 (roof) with 于, which likely contributes the sound and may suggest a spreading or overarching shape. The character originally referred to the eaves of a roof and later extended to the canopy of heaven.

Meaning mnemonic

The roof 宀 covers the space below, and 于 looks like a hook or a spreading shape. Picture the wide eaves of a traditional house stretching out to shelter everything beneath, like the sky itself.

Reading mnemonic

For ウ, imagine the eaves of a house making a long 'oo' sound as the wind blows through them: oo -> ウ, and the roof covers the space.