эрту
ertuDungan
In Chinese, the word for sun is эрту (ertu). Wiktionary also lists 日 (rì) and 熱頭 / 热头 (rètóu).
Meaning: the star around which the Earth revolves (name)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| эрту | ertu | Dungan | |
| 日 | rì | /ɻ̩⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /ɹ̩²¹/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 熱頭 / 热头 | rètóu | ||
| жәту | řətu | Dungan | |
| тэён | teion | Dungan | |
| 日頭 / 日头 | ji̍t-thâu, li̍t-thâu | Hokkien | |
| 太陽 / 太阳 | thài-iâng | Hokkien |
The term is used to refer to the star around which the Earth revolves. In some contexts, the character 日 can mean either the sun or a single day. If you are referring specifically to the light and warmth received from the sun, use 陽光 / 阳光. To refer to a star as the center of a solar system, you may use эрту, жәту or 日頭 / 日头.
Which one should you use?
In Hokkien, 日頭 / 日头 (ji̍t-thâu) is the colloquial or common way to refer to the sun, whereas 太陽 / 太阳 (thài-iâng) is the more formal term. In other Chinese variations, such as southern China or Cantonese, 日头 (rì tóu) serve as informal ways to say sun.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The forms эрту, жәту and тэён are used in Dungan. The forms 日頭 / 日头 (ji̍t-thâu) and 太陽 / 太阳 (thài-iâng) are used in Hokkien.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
ertu
Did you know?
- In the Dungan language, which is a Chinese-based language spoken in Central Asia, the words for sun like эрту are written using the Cyrillic alphabet.
- The character 太陽 / 太阳 literally translates to 'Great Yang', referring to the ultimate source of positive energy in the cosmic balance of 'Yin' and 'Yang'.
- In older Chinese literature, the sun is often personified in poetry, and certain phrases involving 'sun' can be used to subtly refer to an emperor.
Examples in context
- 向日葵总是面向太阳。Sunflowers always point towards the sun.This sentence shows how the sun is the target of sunflowers using 日.Tatoeba #13882008 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #12597680 by Adelpa
- 日月潭是台灣最大的湖泊。Sun Moon Lake is the largest lake in Taiwan.This sentence uses the character 日 as part of a proper name for a lake.Tatoeba #13249727 by mimosawang, translation #13247632 by Lumi
- 云开见天日。The clouds opened and the sun shone through.This sentence illustrates the sun shining through clouds using 日.Tatoeba #336958 by fucongcong, translation #26506 by speedwell
- 日光Sunlight
- 阳光明媚Sunny and bright
- 沐浴阳光Bask in the sun
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sun” translations and entries 日, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
