Definition
大院 (dà yuàn) refers to a large enclosed compound, often associated with government institutions, military units, or state-owned enterprises in China. These compounds typically include residential buildings, offices, and shared facilities, forming a self-contained community. The term carries cultural weight, evoking a specific lifestyle and social structure from mid-20th-century China, especially in the context of 单位大院 (work-unit compound).
p.w.
large courtyard or compound (especially of an institution or work unit)residential compound of a government organmilitary unitor state-owned enterprise
Examples
- 大院，。Tā cóng xiǎo zài bùduì dà yuàn lǐ zhǎng dà, duì nà zhǒng jítǐ shēnghuó hěn shúxī.He grew up in a military compound and is very familiar with that kind of collective life.
- 大院，。Zhège jīguān dà yuàn de ménkǒu yǒu jǐngwèi zhàngǎng, wàirén bù néng suíbiàn jìnrù.There are guards at the entrance of this government compound; outsiders cannot enter casually.
- 大院。Lǎo Běijīng hěnduō dà yuàn dōu bǎoliú zhe chuántǒng de sìhéyuàn géjú.Many old Beijing compounds still preserve the traditional courtyard-house layout.
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