How many strokes does the Chinese character "宇" (yǔ) have?
"宇" has 6 strokes in Simplified Chinese. Its primary dictionary radical is 宀, and you can animate or practice writing every stroke in order using the interactive grid on this page.
Ready · 6 strokes
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Auspicious & Poetic Naming
Name: Highly Recommended
Tattoo: Better in a Phrase
宇 Universe in Chinese (yǔ)
Dictionary Summary
宇 (yǔ) means room; universe. Simplified form has 6 strokes under radical 宀.
Pinyin & Toneyǔ (Tone 3)
Simplified / Trad.宇 / 宇
Radical宀
Total Strokes6 strokes
StructureTop–Bottom (宀 + 于)
Unicode / LevelU+5B87 · HSK 4
Native Naming & Tattoo Safety Review
🪪 Using “宇” in a Chinese Name · Highly Recommended (Masculine-leaning)
Spacious, open-minded, and heroic (e.g., 宇轩, 宇航, 浩宇, 泽宇). One of China's favorite modern male name characters because it conveys noble bearing (气宇).
✒️ Using “宇” for a Tattoo · Better in a Phrase
Looks strongest as 宇宙 (cosmos) or paired in a personal seal; standalone 宇 feels incomplete.
Character Etymology & CC-CEDICT Meanings
Origin & Visual Logic: Roof radical (宀) over wide expanse (于): originally the eaves of a house, extending to the vast expanse of space.
| Traditional / Simplified | Pinyin | CC-CEDICT Definitions |
|---|---|---|
| 宇 / 宇 | yǔ | room; universe |
Lexical entries derived from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Make Me a Hanzi (APL / LGPL-3.0).
Common Words & Idioms Using “宇”
| Chinese Word | Pinyin | English Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 宇宙 | yǔzhòu | the universe; cosmos | |
| 气宇 | qìyǔ | bearing and magnanimity | |
| 寰宇 | huányǔ | the whole world |
English Names Using “宇” in Our Curated Recommendations
See how native speakers pair 宇 (yǔ) into modern Chinese names:
Frequently Asked Questions
Is "宇" good to use in a real Chinese name?
Rating: Highly Recommended (Masculine-leaning). Spacious, open-minded, and heroic (e.g., 宇轩, 宇航, 浩宇, 泽宇). One of China's favorite modern male name characters because it conveys noble bearing (气宇).
Is "宇" safe as a Chinese character tattoo?
Tattoo rating: Better in a Phrase. Looks strongest as 宇宙 (cosmos) or paired in a personal seal; standalone 宇 feels incomplete.