Definition
坊 is a bound form (不能单独使用) that appears as a suffix in compound nouns. Its most common meanings are (1) a small workshop or mill, as in 磨坊 (mill) or 作坊 (workshop); (2) a shop or studio, as in 书坊 (bookshop/printing house) or 茶坊 (teahouse); and (3) a memorial archway or neighborhood gate, as in 牌坊. You'll encounter it in historical or architectural contexts. Because it's a bound form, always use it within a compound word.
b.f.
(bound form) small workshop / mill(bound form) shop / studio(bound form) memorial archway / neighborhood gate
Examples
- 。Zhè jiā mò fāng yǐjīng yǒu wǔshí nián de lìshǐ le.This mill has been around for fifty years.
- 坊，。Tā zài chéng lǐ kāi le yì jiā shū fāng, zhuānmén yìn gǔ shū.He opened a bookshop in town that specializes in printing ancient books.
- 。Cūn kǒu nà zuò gǔlǎo de pái fāng shì Míng dài jiàn de.That old memorial archway at the village entrance was built in the Ming Dynasty.
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