住宅楼 (zhù zhái lóu) — residential building

Definition

A building built and used only for people to live in — not offices or shops. Contrast with 公寓 (apartment-style units, often rented) and 写字楼 (office building).

noun
residential building
Measure word · 幢

Examples

  • 住宅楼。
    Zhè dòng zhù zhái lóu yǒu èr shí céng.
    This residential building has twenty floors.
  • 住宅楼。
    Tā men zhù zài xīn jiàn de zhù zhái lóu lǐ.
    They live in a newly built residential building.
  • 住宅楼。
    Xiǎo qū lǐ gòng yǒu shí dòng zhù zhái lóu.
    There are ten residential buildings in the neighborhood.

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.

住宅dwelling
住zhùlive宅zháihouse
偏正Modifier + head
楼lóubuilding

住宅楼 combines 住宅 (dwelling) and 楼 (building) for a building used as homes.

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
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
主
主zhǔ住zhù
Same sound today

住 pairs 亻, the person radical (written fully as 人), with 主, which supplies the sound.

Open 住 →

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
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
乇
乇tuō宅zhái
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 宅, the 宀 part is a roof, and the 乇 part gives the sound.

Open 宅 →

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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