zu
See also: Appendix:Variations of "zu"
Translingual
Symbol
zu
- (international standards) ISO 639-1 language code for Zulu.
Angami
Alternative forms
- dzu
Noun
zu
- water
- fermented rice beer
References
- Visier Sanyu, A history of Nagas and Nagaland (1996, →ISBN, page 51 (zu, rice beer)
- Robert Gordon Latham, Elements of Comparative Philology, page 31 (Angami wordlist) (zu, water)
- The Journal of the Indian Archipelago and Eastern Asia (James Richardson Logan), volume 10 (1970) (Angami zu, water; mentions dzu)
Basque
Etymology
From Proto-Basque *zu, originally a second-person plural pronoun. Over time, it came to be used as a polite second-person singular pronoun; while hi went from being a general second-person singular pronoun to a strictly informal one. In all the written record it appears as a singular pronoun, but it might have survived as a plural pronoun up to the nineteenth century in parts of Biscay.[1]
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /s̻u/, [s̻u]
Pronoun
zu
- Second-person singular personal pronoun; you
Declension
Declension of Basque personal pronouns
| Common pronouns | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| singular | plural | |||||||
| 1st person | 2nd person (informal) | 2nd person (neutral) | 1st person | 2nd person | ||||
| absolutive | ni | hi | zu | gu | zuek | |||
| ergative | nik | hik | zuk | guk | ||||
| dative | niri | hiri | zuri | guri | zuei | |||
| genitive | nire, ene | hire | zure | gure | zuen | |||
| comitative | nirekin, enekin | hirekin | zurekin | gurekin | zuekin | |||
| causative | nigatik, niregatik, enegatik | higatik, hiregatik | zugatik, zuregatik | gugatik, guregatik | zuengatik | |||
| benefactive | niretzat, niretako, enetzat,enetako | hiretzat, hiretako | zuretzat, zuretako | guretzat, guretako | zuentzat, zuendako | |||
| instrumental | nitaz | hitaz | zutaz | gutaz | zuetaz | |||
| inessive | nigan, niregan, nire baitan, nitan, enegan, ene baitan | higan, hiregan, hire baitan, hitan | zugan, zuregan, zure baitan, zutan | gugan, guregan, gure baitan, gutan | zuengan, zuen baitan, zuetan | |||
| locative | nire baitako, ene baitako | hire baitako | gu baitako, gure baitako | zu baitako, zure baitako | zuen baitako | |||
| allative | niregana, nireganat, nire baitara, nire baitarat, enegana, eneganat, ene baitara, ene baitarat | hiregana, hireganat, hire baitara, hire baitarat | zugana, zuregana, zuganat, zureganat, zu baitara, zure baitara, zu baitarat, zure baitarat | gugana, guregana, guganat, gureganat, gu baitara, gure baitara, gu baitarat, gure baitarat | zuengana, zuenganat, zuen baitara, zuen baitarat | |||
| terminative | nireganaino, nire baitaraino, eneganaino | higanaino, hireganaino, hire baitaraino | zuganaino, zureganaino, zu baitaraino, zure baitaraino | guganaino, gureganaino, gu baitaraino, gure baitaraino | zuenganaino, zuen baitaraino | |||
| directive | niganantz, nireganantz, eneganantz | higanantz, hireganantz | zuganantz, zureganantz | guganantz, gureganantz | zuenganantz | |||
| destinative | niganako, nireganako, eneganako | higanako, hireganako | zuganako, zureganako | guganako, gureganako | zuenganako | |||
| ablative | nireganik, niregandik, nire baitatik, nire baitarik, eneganik, enegandik, ene baitatik, ene baitarik | higanik, hireganik, higandik, hiregandik, hire baitatik, hire baitarik | zuganik, zureganik, zugandik, zuregandik, zu baitatik, zu baitarik, zure baitatik, zure baitarik | guganik, gureganik, gugandik, guregandik, gu baitatik, gu baitarik, gure baitatik, gure baitarik | zuenganik, zuengandik, zuen baitatik, zuen baitarik | |||
| Emphatic pronouns | ||||||||
| absolutive | neu | heu | zeu | geu | zeuek | |||
| ergative | neuk | heuk | zeuk | geuk | ||||
| dative | neuri | heuri | zeuri | geuri | zeuei | |||
| genitive | neure | heure | zeure | geure | zeuen | |||
| comitative | neurekin | heurekin | zeurekin | geurekin | zeuekin | |||
| causative | neugatik, neuregatik | heugatik, heuregatik | zugatik, zuregatik | gugatik, guregatik | zuengatik | |||
| benefactive | neuretzat, neuretako | heuretzat, heuretako | zeuretzat, zeuretako | geuretzat, geuretako | zeuentzat, zeuendako | |||
| instrumental | neutaz | heutaz | zeutaz | geutaz | zeuetaz | |||
| inessive | neugan | heuregan, heure baitan | zeugan, zeuregan | geugan, geuregan | zeuengan | |||
| locative | neure baitako | heure baitako | zeure baitako | geure baitako | zeuen baitako | |||
| allative | neuregana | heugana, heuregana, heure baitara, heure baitarat | zeugana, zeuregana | geugana, geuregana | zeuengana | |||
| terminative | neuregaino | heuganaino, heureganaino, heure baitaraino | zeuganaino, zeureganaino | geuganaino, geureganaino | zeuenganaino | |||
| directive | neuganantz | heuganantz, heureganantz | zeuganantz, zeureganantz | geuganantz, geureganantz | zeuenganantz | |||
| destinative | neureganako | heuganako, heureganako | zeuganako, zeureganako | geuganako, geureganako | zeuenganako | |||
| ablative | neuganik, neugandik | heuganik, heureganik, heugandik, heuregandik, heure baitatik, heure baitarik | zeuganik, zeureganik, zeugandik, zeuregandik | geuganik, geureganik, geugandik, geuregandik | zeuenganik, zeuengandik | |||
Related terms
- zeu
References
- “zu” in Etymological Dictionary of Basque by R. L. Trask, sussex.ac.uk
Further reading
- "zu" in Euskaltzaindiaren Hiztegia [Dictionary of the Basque Academy], euskaltzaindia.eus
- “zu” in Orotariko Euskal Hiztegia [General Basque Dictionary], euskaltzaindia.eus
German
Alternative forms
- zů (obsolete)
Etymology
From a spelling merger of two interrelated adpreps: 1.) Middle High German ze, from Old High German za, zi, from Proto-Germanic *ta; and 2.) Middle High German zuo, from Old High German zuo, from Proto-Germanic *tō. A distinction between both words has widely been retained in dialects, and also to some degree in modern spoken German (see pronunciation section below). Cognate with Silesian German zu (contractions with the definite article: zum m or n, zur f); Dutch te, toe; Old Saxon tō; English to, too.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /t͡suː/ (standard)
audio (file) - IPA(key): /t͡sə/ (variant in colloquial speech; chiefly with infinitives (particle) and adjectives (meaning “too”))
- Rhymes: -uː
Preposition
zu (+ dative)
- to, towards (indicates directionality)
- zum Bahnhof ― to the train station
- with respect to; regarding
- Zu Punkt 1 möchte ich bemerken, dass...
- With respect to item 1, let me remark that...
- along with; with (accompanying (the main thing in question))
- Wasser zum Essen trinken ― to drink water with one’s meal
- at, on (indicates location)
- zu Hause ― at home
- at (indicates time)
- zur richtigen Zeit ― at the right time
- zu Beginn ― at the beginning
- by, in, on, at (indicates mode (of transportation, speech, etc.))
- zu Pferd ― on horseback
- (with a verb) for; (with a noun) as, by way of (for the purpose of)
- for (in honor of, or directed towards the celebration or event of)
- into (indicates transition into another form or substance)
- as, for, to be (to take on the role of)
- to (used to indicate ratios)
- at (denotes a price or rate)
Derived terms
- (zu + dem) zum m or n
- (zu + der) zur f
- (zu + den) zun pl (obsolete)
- bis zu
- zu Fuß
- zuhause
- zu Herzen nehmen
- zu Recht
Particle
zu
- (with infinitives of verbs) to
- etwas zu essen ― something to eat
Adverb
zu
- (with adjectives and adverbs) too (excessively)
- zu schnell ― too fast
- (by extension, slang) An intensifier.
- Dieses Essen ist zu lecker! ― This food tastes so good!
- towards; at
- (somewhat informal) shut; closed; locked
- Synonym: geschlossen
- Antonyms: auf, offen, geöffnet
- ahead, on (along, forwards (continuing an action))
Usage notes
(intensifier): Always stressed. Compare English so (“very much”).
Derived terms
- zumachen
- zuschließen
Adjective
zu (indeclinable, predicative only)
- (somewhat informal) shut, closed (made inaccessible or impassable; not open)
- Synonym: geschlossen
- Das Geschäft war zu.
- The shop was closed.
- Die Tür muss aus Brandschutzgründen immer zu sein.
- This door must be shut at all times for reasons of fire safety.
- Die Tür ist zu, ich komm nicht rein.
- The door is locked, I can’t get in there.
- closed (not operating or conducting trade)
- done up (fastened)
- (slang) hammered; very drunk
Related terms
- heutzutage
- zuerst
- zu haben
- zumindest
- zunächst
- zurecht-
- zurück
- zusammen
- zuvörderst
- Zugang
- Zustand
- Zuwachs
Further reading
- “zu” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
- Friedrich Kluge (1883), “zu”, in , John Francis Davis, transl., Etymological Dictionary of the German Language, published 1891
Japanese
Romanization
zu
- Rōmaji transcription of ず
- Rōmaji transcription of ズ
- Rōmaji transcription of づ
- Rōmaji transcription of ヅ
Korak
Noun
zu
- water
Further reading
- J. A. Z'Graggen, 1980, A comparative word list of the Northern Adelbert Range Languages, Madang Province, Papua New Guinea, p.80, Canberra: Pacific Linguistics
Luxembourgish
Etymology
Reduced form of zou, from Middle High German zuo, from Old High German zuo, from Proto-Germanic *tō.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /t͡su/
Preposition
zu (+ dative)
- at, in
- Ech wunnen zu Réiden. ― I live in Redange.
- with respect to, regarding
- for (the purpose of)
- Dat Blietchen ass nëmmen zu denger Informatioun. ― The leaflet is just for your information.
- (rare) to, towards
Usage notes
- The adverbial form of zu, used e.g. in compound verbs, is zou.
- With the singular forms of the definite article, zu may contract to zum (zu dem) and zur (zu der).
Synonyms
- (towards): bäi; op
Derived terms
- zum
- zur
Related terms
- ze
- zou
Adverb
zu
- (when stressed) Alternative form of ze (“too”)
- Dat ass net nëmme vill, dat ass zu vill.
- It’s not just much, it’s too much.
Mandarin
Romanization
zu
- Nonstandard spelling of zū.
- Nonstandard spelling of zú.
- Nonstandard spelling of zǔ.
- Nonstandard spelling of zù.
Usage notes
- English transcriptions of Mandarin speech often fail to distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without the appropriate indication of tone.
Pennsylvania German
Etymology
Compare German zu, Dutch te, English to.
Preposition
zu
- at, to
Sicilian
Alternative forms
- ziu
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈdzu/
Noun
zu
- uncle
- elder male person, not strictly a relative
Sumerian
Romanization
zu
- Romanization of 𒍪 (zu)
Volapük
Conjunction
zu
- in addition