房地产 (fáng dì chǎn) — real estate

Definition

Real estate as an asset class or industry — what people buy, sell, invest in. 不动产 is the formal/legal term for the property itself; 物业 is the management company or fees, not the property.

noun
real estate
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 房地产。
    Jìn nián lái fáng dì chǎn jià gé yì zhí zài shàng zhǎng.
    Real estate prices have been rising in recent years.
  • 房地产。
    Tā zài fáng dì chǎn gōng sī gōng zuò le hǎo jǐ nián.
    He has worked at a real estate company for several years.
  • 。
    Mǎi fáng dì chǎn shì hěn duō rén yì shēng zhōng zuì dà de tóu zī.
    Buying real estate is the biggest investment many people make in their lifetime.

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.

房地houses and land
房fánghouse地dìland
联合Side by side
产chǎnproperty

房 and 地 mean houses and land, and 产 means property, so the meaning is property of houses and land.

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
戶戶hùdoor
Sound part声符shēngfú
方
方fāng房fáng
Same sound today

房 pairs 戶 (door) with 方 (fāng) as a sound part; 方 can also fit 'side,' as in a side room beside the main room.

Open 房 →

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
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
也
也yě地dì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

地 is built from 土 (earth) and 也, which gives its sound.

Open 地 →

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 產; 产 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
生生shēngto be born
Sound part声符shēngfú
彥
彥yàn產chǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 產 pairs 生, "to be born," with 彥 as a sound part; the simplified 产 is a shorthand.

Open 产 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Home & Housing

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