藏书楼 (cáng shū lóu) — library (especially a classical Chinese or private book collection building)

Definition

A historical or private building housing a classical Chinese book collection — older and more traditional than a modern 图书馆. The focus is on the building itself as a repository of rare or ancient texts.

noun
library (especially a classical Chinese or private book collection building)
Measure word · 座

Examples

  • 藏书楼，。
    Zhè zuò cáng shū lóu jiàn yú míng cháo, shōu cáng le xǔ duō zhēn guì gǔ jí.
    This library was built in the Ming dynasty and houses many precious ancient books.
  • 藏书楼。
    Tā měi tiān xià wǔ dōu huì qù cáng shū lóu dú shū.
    He goes to the library every afternoon to read.
  • 藏书楼，。
    Nà zuò cáng shū lóu de cáng shū liàng fēi cháng dà, xī yǐn le zhòng duō xué zhě.
    The collection of that library is enormous, attracting many scholars.

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.

藏书store books
藏cángstore书shūbooks
动宾Verb + object
楼lóubuilding

The action 藏 means store and 书 means books, while 楼 means building, giving a book-storing building.

Characters in this word

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艸艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
臧
臧zāng藏cáng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

藏 is made from 艸 (grass) and 臧, where 臧 gives the sound.

Open 藏 →

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 書; 书 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
聿聿yùwriting brush
Sound part声符shēngfú
者
者zhě書shū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 書 uses 聿, a writing brush, and 者 for its sound; the simplified 书 is a later shorthand.

Open 书 →

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 →

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