() — (bound form) to change (literary, in compounds like 不渝, 至死不渝); (bound form) abbreviation for Chongqing (in place names like 渝中, 渝北)

Definition

渝 has two uses: as a bound literary word meaning 'to change' (always in set phrases like 至死不渝 'faithful unto death'), and as the standard short name for Chongqing used in place names (渝中, 渝北) and cuisine (渝菜).

bound form
to change (literary, in compounds like 不渝, 至死不渝)abbreviation for Chongqing (in place names like 渝中, 渝北)

Examples

  • Tā duì ài qíng zhì sǐ bù yú.
    He is unchanged in his love until death.
  • Chóng qìng yú zhōng qū shì shì zhōng xīn.
    Chongqing's Yuzhong District is the city center.
  • Zhè jiā yú cài guǎn hěn dì dào.
    This Chongqing cuisine restaurant is very authentic.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
Same sound today

渝 is built from 水, meaning "water", plus 俞, which gives the sound yú.

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