宿

Phono-semantic compound:

宀 (roof radical) - semantic, indicating dwelling or shelter.

𠈇 (phonetic “숙”) - phonetic element.

Oracle bone forms show variations:

A roof (宀) sheltering a person (人) with a mat (席) below.

A person (卩/女) kneeling on a mat.

Depicts the image of a person preparing to sleep on a mat beneath a roof - “to lodge, to stay overnight.”

Over time, the form evolved: 宀 + 人 + 席 - later simplified in clerical script (隷書) into 宀 + 百.

宿泊 (숙박) — lodging, overnight stay

宿舍 (숙사) — dormitory, lodging house

星宿 (성수) — constellation, star mansion

宿命 (숙명) — fate, predestined destiny

宿願 (숙원) — long-cherished wish

In the East Asian 28 lunar mansions (二十八宿), 宿 refers to the traditional constellations used in calendrical and astrological systems.

Pronunciation differs by context:

일반적 의미(“to lodge, stay”) - sù (Mandarin), 숙 (Korean), shuku (Japanese)

별자리 의미(28宿) - xiù (Mandarin), 수 (Korean), shuku (Japanese, losing the シュウ reading)

The dual readings (숙/수) in Korean and (sù/xiù) in Chinese reflect the distinction between ordinary lodging and the technical astronomical sense.

In Buddhism and Daoism, 宿 sometimes denotes past karma or fate, as in 宿命 (previously determined destiny).