📘 Lernkarte #2742 — 周 (zhōu)
IPA: [ʈʂóu]
Meaning: week; cycle; round
⭐ Core Meaning
EN:
周 (zhōu) most commonly means week.
By extension, it also means a cycle / full round.
DE:
周 (zhōu) bedeutet vor allem Woche, außerdem Kreis / Zyklus / Runde.
Semantic class: noun (time unit) / measure word (cycle)
🔗 Common Collocations
-
一周 yì zhōu — one week
-
这周 / 下周 / 上周 zhè zhōu / xià zhōu / shàng zhōu — this / next / last week
-
每周 měi zhōu — every week
-
周末 zhōumò — weekend
-
周围 zhōuwéi — surroundings (around)
🇬🇧 ENGLISH — Full Explanation (with Pinyin)
周 (zhōu) is the standard word for week in Mandarin and is extremely frequent in daily life.
Typical usage
time reference
我下周去北京。
Wǒ xià zhōu qù Běijīng.
I’m going to Beijing next week.
frequency
我每周运动三次。
Wǒ měi zhōu yùndòng sān cì.
I exercise three times a week.
weekend
周末你有空吗？
Zhōumò nǐ yǒu kòng ma?
Are you free on the weekend?
⚠️ Usage notes (EN):
-
classifier: 周 itself (一周，两周)
-
very common in planning & schedules
-
also appears in compounds meaning “around / cycle”
🇩🇪 DEUTSCH — Erklärung (mit Pinyin)
周 (zhōu) ist das normale Wort für Woche im Chinesischen.
Typische Verwendung
Zeitangabe
我们这周很忙。
Wǒmen zhè zhōu hěn máng.
Wir sind diese Woche sehr beschäftigt.
Regelmäßigkeit
他每周打篮球。
Tā měi zhōu dǎ lánqiú.
Er spielt jede Woche Basketball.
Wochenende
周末见！
Zhōumò jiàn!
Bis zum Wochenende!
⚠️ Hinweis (DE):
-
extrem häufig
-
wichtig für Terminplanung
-
nicht verwechseln mit 洲 (Kontinent) oder 粥 (Reisbrei)
🌟 COMPARISON — 周 vs similar words
| Meaning |
Pinyin |
Hanzi |
Note |
| week |
zhōu |
周 |
time unit |
| weekend |
zhōumò |
周末 |
end of week |
| cycle / around |
zhōu |
周 |
extended meaning |
| continent |
zhōu |
洲 |
different character |
| porridge |
zhōu |
粥 |
different character |
01｜Syllable Analysis — zhōu
-
zhōu — IPA [ʈʂóu] — Tone 1 — cycle / round
Tone pattern: 1
→ steady, regular (time cycle)
02｜Mnemonics — 周
| Category |
EN |
DE |
| Meaning Link |
weekly cycle |
Wochenkreislauf |
| Tone Link |
flat & stable |
gleichmäßig |
| Visual |
calendar circle |
Wochenkreis |
| Memory Tip |
“week goes around” |
„Woche im Kreis“ |
03｜Didactic Summary — 周
| Focus |
EN |
DE |
| Meaning |
week |
Woche |
| Usage |
time reference |
Zeitangabe |
| Tone |
1st |
1. Ton |
| Register |
neutral |
neutral |
| Frequency |
extremely high |
extrem hoch |
❌ Common Learner Notes
❌ 周 = 洲 ❌ (week ≠ continent)
❌ 周 = 粥 ❌ (week ≠ porridge)
✅ 下周 / 每周 ✔️
✅ 周末 ✔️
✅ Fazit #2742 — 周 (zhōu)
EN:
A core high-frequency word meaning week, essential for time and scheduling.
DE:
Ein zentrales Hochfrequenzwort für Woche, unverzichtbar im Alltag.