zhou

Everyday

1. (a name) The Zhou dynasty ruled China for about 800 years, from about 1046 BC to 256 BC, longer than any other Chinese dynasty. tree →
2. (a name) Zhou is a common Chinese surname, as in Zhou Enlai, a Chinese premier. tree →
3. (Mandarin, pinyin) zhōu can mean "week" (xīngqī and zhōu both mean week), "state" or "province", or "porridge/congee" (粥 zhōu). It sounds like "joe" to an English ear. It is not an English word. tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons the Zhou dynasty is the time of Confucius and the idea of the "Mandate of Heaven". In everyday Chinese, zhōu is part of words for week and for rice porridge. Phrases: the Zhou dynasty, zhōumò (weekend).

Examples

• The Zhou dynasty lasted about 800 years. tree →
• Confucius lived near the end of the Zhou dynasty. tree →
• Zhōumò means "weekend" in Mandarin. tree →
• Zhou is a common family name in China. tree →
• Many Chinese people eat zhōu, rice porridge, for breakfast. tree →
• "Zhou" sounds a bit like "joe". tree →

Note

Not an English word. Pinyin zh sounds like English j. As a name it takes a capital letter. BC dates count down, so 1046 BC is earlier than 256 BC.