周
zhōu
Zhou dynasty; circumference; thorough/complete
Meaning
- Proper Noun: The Zhou dynasty.
- Spatial/Physical: Circumference, perimeter, or a circuit.
- Qualitative/Abstract: Thorough, comprehensive, meticulous, or all-encompassing (derived from the notion of completing a circuit).
- Temporal: A cycle, round, or recurring period.
Grammar and usage
- Noun: Refers to the dynasty, a physical boundary/circuit, or a unit of time.
- Verb: To go around, circumnavigate, tour, patrol, or circulate through a space.
- Adjective: Describes a state of completeness or an action performed with thoroughness.
History and forms
- Fanqie reading: 職流
// Tang-period reading: //jiou
Translator notes
When the glyph does not refer to the Zhou dynasty, distinguish between movement and quality. If the context involves an official or a physical entity in motion, lean toward "circling" or "patrolling." If it modifies a cognitive process or an administrative result, lean toward "comprehensive" or "thorough."
Decontextualized translator aid. This page describes plausible lexical range; it does not choose what the glyph means in a particular passage.