The kanji 宇 is not commonly used by itself in everyday words. It mainly appears in proper names (people, places) and in the compound 宇宙 (“universe / space”).
- 宇宙 — universe / outer space
- 宇宙飛行士 — astronaut
- 宇宙船 — spacecraft
- 宇都宮 — Utsunomiya (place name, family name)
- 宇野 — Uno (family name, place name)
- 宇田 — Uda (family name, place name)
宇 uses 宀 (roof) to suggest a broad covering — an expanse or “house” over all. Paired with 宙 it forms 宇宙 (universe).
宇宙には 無限の 可能性が あります。
The universe holds infinite possibilities.
彼は 宇宙飛行士に なりたいと 言っていました。
He said he wanted to become an astronaut.