Explore 宇 through words about the universe and space travel. Its older sense is the eaves of a building.

The idea

宇 has six strokes and the on-reading う. Learn it in whole words: 宇宙（うちゅう） means the universe or outer space; 宇宙船（うちゅうせん） is a spacecraft. Follow the linked stroke diagram.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReadingExample in context
宇宙うちゅうThe universe is vast.
宇宙船うちゅうせんThe spacecraft returned to Earth.

Examples

  • 宇宙うちゅうはとても広ひろいです。The universe is vast.
  • 私わたしは宇宙うちゅうに興味きょうみがあります。I am interested in space.
  • 宇宙船うちゅうせんが地球ちきゅうに戻もどりました。The spacecraft returned to Earth.
  • 私わたしたちは宇宙うちゅうについての映画えいがを見みました。We watched a film about space.
  • 彼女かのじょは宇宙うちゅうへ旅行りょこうしたいです。She wants to travel into space.
  • 科学者かがくしゃは宇宙うちゅうの起源きげんを研究けんきゅうしています。Scientists study the origin of the universe.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

宇 originally refers to eaves, but the ordinary modern word for a roof’s eaves is 軒（のき）. Do not assume 宇 by itself is the usual word for eaves.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 宇宙 in hiragana.

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    うちゅう

    宇宙 is read うちゅう; it can mean the universe or outer space.

  2. Write the reading of 宇宙船 in hiragana.

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    うちゅうせん

    宇宙船 is read うちゅうせん; 船 adds the idea of a vessel.

  3. Choose the missing kanji: ＿宙（うちゅう）［宇／字］.

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    宇

    宇 completes 宇宙, the word for the universe or outer space.

Use it today

Write 宇 using the stroke diagram, then cover the readings and read 宇宙 and 宇宙船 aloud. Make a sentence about space.