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主楼 (zhǔ lóu) — main building (in a campus, complex, or compound)

Definition

主楼 is the main or principal building on a campus or in a compound — typically the largest, central building. Pairs with 副楼 (annex/wing) when a complex has separate secondary buildings.

noun
main building (in a campus, complex, or compound)
Measure word · 座

Examples

  • 主楼。
    Wǒ men de jiào shì zài zhǔ lóu de sān céng.
    Our classroom is on the third floor of the main building.
  • 主楼。
    Huì yì zài zhǔ lóu de huì yì shì jǔ bàn.
    The meeting is held in the conference room of the main building.
  • 主楼。
    Tú shū guǎn zài zhǔ lóu páng biān.
    The library is next to the main building.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

主zhǔmain
楼lóubuilding

“主” (main) and “楼” (building) give the main building.

Characters in this word

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The old forms that became 主 showed a lamp or torch with a flame at the top; other forms showed wood on fire or a spirit tablet.

Open 主 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 樓; 楼 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mùtree
Sound part声符shēngfú
婁
婁lóu樓lóu
Same sound today

The traditional form 樓 pairs 木 (tree) with 婁 as its sound part; the simplified 楼 is a later shorthand.

Open 楼 →
Appears in
Buildings & Structures

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