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"uchu" translates closer to "space" (spaceship -> uchusen), (alien -> uchujin), "I want to go to outerspace" -> "uchi e ikitai". You can't sub universe in thos

"uchu" translates closer to "space" (spaceship -> uchusen), (alien -> uchujin), "I want to go to outerspace" -> "uchi e ikitai". You can't sub universe in those. Yes, a dictionary may use that translation, but watch a space documentary and they won't use "uchu" by itself for "universe". Also, in English, "universal" and "universe" are clearly related, but in Japanese, the concept of "universal" has almost nothing in common with "uchu"

xanderlewis 2y ago
It’s true that the concept of ‘universality’ wouldn’t be expressed using a word like uchu — perhaps more likely something like fuhenteki (普遍的) or just fuhen ? — but this is how one Japanese dictionary chooses to define uchu: あらゆる存在物を包容する無限の空間と時間の広がり。 So it (if you trust this definition) refers to time as well as space. It’s slightly more abstract than just ‘space’. The Japanese entry corresponding to the English Wikipedia entry for ‘universe’ is also called 宇宙, though it is of course effectively about space. …considering it further, I think you’re completely right. I’ll leave what I’ve written above in case it’s of interest to others.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
NetOpWibby 2y ago
My apologies for not being fluent in the Japanese language. I didn't look deeper than WordHippo[1] for translation. --- [1]: https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/the/japanese-word-for-244fb75b19415c9ee4f143b34b4b241236fb63f5.html https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/the/japanese-word-for-244f...
- ok_dad 2y ago
  Then don't use words you don't understand fully? Seems stupid to me to use a whole culture as your "aesthetic".
  - retropragma 2y ago
    Lmao, HN will complain about anything. Leave the guy alone
    - NetOpWibby 2y ago
      It's amazing LOL I could never be bothered by them
      - deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
      - deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
      - ok_dad 2y ago
        [flagged]
        necessary 2y ago
        Who exactly is hurt by the naming of this project?
        MyOutfitIsVague 2y ago
        Is this "stealing"? Is it stealing any time somebody in another language uses a borrowed English word? This is a pretty extreme reaction, honestly. I fail to see how a minor misunderstanding of a Japanese word could possibly affect anybody negatively. Could you give a single scenario where this use of this word is harmful?
        deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
    - YurgenJurgensen 2y ago
      And yet, here you are, complaining about people complaining.
BalinKing 2y ago
Genuine question as an amateur, what would be a better translation for "universe" than 宇宙?
- xelxebar 2y ago
  IMHO, it's more misleading than helpful to try translating single words, devoid of context. That said, 宇宙 and 全宇宙 are definitely used in space documentaries and academic cosmology contexts where English would use "universe", so I'm not really sure what OP in on about. If you go back 150 years, you're more likely to encounter 天地 where now you'd see 宇宙, while the former incidentally does invoke the spiritual or religious overtones that "universe" can have, albeit those are stronger in 天地 as a function of it being a tad archaic. You might see 万物 or the lyrical 森羅万象 where English uses "universe" to mean "all things"; 世界 when talking about a person's universe/world; 領域 for delimiting a universe or domain of consideration; 全人類 in places where English is being poetic about humanity; or even 宇宙 in certain mathematical contexts. Those are just off he top of my head, but I think you get the drift.
- nakasyou 2y ago
  As a native Japanese, we think it means "universe" when I hear it. And in my opinion there are no people who think it means "universal".
npteljes 2y ago
The 'Universe' wikipedia page in Japanese is this: "宇宙" https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%AE%87%E5%AE%99 https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%AE%87%E5%AE%99 "宇宙" seems to be pronounced "Uchū" by google translate. So uchu seems to very much translate to "universe". Maybe it's just not as fashionable to use in a documentary? I can't comment on universe vs universal.
- xanderlewis 2y ago
  I already pointed this out above. It translates to ‘universe’ as in ‘space’ but not really ‘universe’ in the sense of ‘universal’. Anyway… this business of translating individual words is basically nonsense.
  - euamotubaina 2y ago
    In practice, language has no bounds or rules. You can literally name anything you want with any name you feel appropriate. This cultural gatekeeping is so pedantic

xanderlewis 2y ago

It’s true that the concept of ‘universality’ wouldn’t be expressed using a word like uchu — perhaps more likely something like fuhenteki (普遍的) or just fuhen ? — but this is how one Japanese dictionary chooses to define uchu: あらゆる存在物を包容する無限の空間と時間の広がり。 So it (if you trust this definition) refers to time as well as space. It’s slightly more abstract than just ‘space’. The Japanese entry corresponding to the English Wikipedia entry for ‘universe’ is also called 宇宙, though it is of course effectively about space. …considering it further, I think you’re completely right. I’ll leave what I’ve written above in case it’s of interest to others.

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]

NetOpWibby 2y ago

My apologies for not being fluent in the Japanese language. I didn't look deeper than WordHippo[1] for translation. --- [1]: https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/the/japanese-word-for-244fb75b19415c9ee4f143b34b4b241236fb63f5.html https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/the/japanese-word-for-244f...

ok_dad 2y ago
Then don't use words you don't understand fully? Seems stupid to me to use a whole culture as your "aesthetic".
- retropragma 2y ago
  Lmao, HN will complain about anything. Leave the guy alone
  - NetOpWibby 2y ago
    It's amazing LOL I could never be bothered by them
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
    - ok_dad 2y ago
      [flagged]
      - necessary 2y ago
        Who exactly is hurt by the naming of this project?
      - MyOutfitIsVague 2y ago
        Is this "stealing"? Is it stealing any time somebody in another language uses a borrowed English word? This is a pretty extreme reaction, honestly. I fail to see how a minor misunderstanding of a Japanese word could possibly affect anybody negatively. Could you give a single scenario where this use of this word is harmful?
        deleted 2y ago
        [deleted]
  - YurgenJurgensen 2y ago
    And yet, here you are, complaining about people complaining.

BalinKing 2y ago

Genuine question as an amateur, what would be a better translation for "universe" than 宇宙?

xelxebar 2y ago
IMHO, it's more misleading than helpful to try translating single words, devoid of context. That said, 宇宙 and 全宇宙 are definitely used in space documentaries and academic cosmology contexts where English would use "universe", so I'm not really sure what OP in on about. If you go back 150 years, you're more likely to encounter 天地 where now you'd see 宇宙, while the former incidentally does invoke the spiritual or religious overtones that "universe" can have, albeit those are stronger in 天地 as a function of it being a tad archaic. You might see 万物 or the lyrical 森羅万象 where English uses "universe" to mean "all things"; 世界 when talking about a person's universe/world; 領域 for delimiting a universe or domain of consideration; 全人類 in places where English is being poetic about humanity; or even 宇宙 in certain mathematical contexts. Those are just off he top of my head, but I think you get the drift.
nakasyou 2y ago
As a native Japanese, we think it means "universe" when I hear it. And in my opinion there are no people who think it means "universal".

npteljes 2y ago

The 'Universe' wikipedia page in Japanese is this: "宇宙" https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%AE%87%E5%AE%99 https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%AE%87%E5%AE%99 "宇宙" seems to be pronounced "Uchū" by google translate. So uchu seems to very much translate to "universe". Maybe it's just not as fashionable to use in a documentary? I can't comment on universe vs universal.

xanderlewis 2y ago
I already pointed this out above. It translates to ‘universe’ as in ‘space’ but not really ‘universe’ in the sense of ‘universal’. Anyway… this business of translating individual words is basically nonsense.
- euamotubaina 2y ago
  In practice, language has no bounds or rules. You can literally name anything you want with any name you feel appropriate. This cultural gatekeeping is so pedantic