宇
eaves, roof, house, heaven
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
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.