穹 (qióng) — (bound form) vault, dome (as in 穹顶); (bound form) the sky, vault of heaven (as in 苍穹)

Definition

A literary, bound-form character meaning 'vault of heaven' or 'dome,' used almost only in set words: 苍穹 (the sky) and 穹顶 (a dome). It does not stand alone.

bound form
vaultdome (as in 穹顶)the skyvault of heaven (as in 苍穹)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 穹。
    Zhè zuò jiào táng de qióng dǐng fēi cháng zhuàng guān.
    The dome of this church is very magnificent.
  • ，。
    Yǎng wàng cāng qióng, qún xīng shǎn shuò.
    Looking up at the vault of heaven, the stars twinkle.
  • 穹庐。
    Měng gǔ rén de qióng lú biàn yú chāi xiè hé bān yùn.
    The yurts of the Mongolians are easy to dismantle and transport.

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
穴穴xué
Sound part声符shēngfú
弓
弓gōng穹qióng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

穹 is made of 穴 and 弓; 弓 gives the sound.

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