(ōu) — (surname) Ou; (short for) Europe

Definition

noun
(surname) Ou(short for) Europe

Examples

  • ōu Xiān sheng shì wǒ de dǎo shī.
    Mr. Ou is my advisor.
  • Tā jì huà qù ōu, měi lǚ xíng.
    He plans to travel to Europe and America.
  • ōu Méng de chéng yuán guó hěn duō.
    The EU has many member states.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 歐; 欧 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
qiànto yawn; to exhale
Sound part声符shēngfú
Ōu
Same sound today

The traditional form 歐 pairs 區 as a sound with 欠 (to yawn; to exhale), and was originally written for vomiting; simplified 欧 is a later shorthand.

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