活动房 (huó dòng fáng) — mobile home (a portable prefabricated house); prefabricated house (temporary or modular building); training room (for sports or physical activities)

Definition

A noun covering two distinct meanings: a prefabricated/mobile building used as temporary housing (e.g. on a construction site), and a room set aside for sports training. The 活动 in the sports sense means 'physical activity', not 'movable'.

noun
mobile home (a portable prefabricated house)prefabricated house (temporary or modular building)training room (for sports or physical activities)
Measure word · 间

Examples

  • 活动房。
    Tā zhù zài gōng dì páng biān de yí gè huó dòng fáng lǐ.
    He lives in a mobile home next to the construction site.
  • 活动房。
    Xué xiào yòng huó dòng fáng zuò lín shí jiào shì.
    The school used prefabricated houses as temporary classrooms.
  • 活动房。
    Yùn dòng yuán zài huó dòng fáng lǐ zuò rè shēn yùn dòng.
    The athletes did warm-up exercises in the training room.

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.

活动move; be active
活huóalive动dòngmove
联合Side by side
房fánghouse; room

活 and 动 together express moving or being active, and 房 names a house or room, giving a movable or activity room.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠯑
𠯑𠯑活huó
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

活 is built from 氵 (water) and 𠯑, which shows the sound; 𠯑 later changed into 舌.

Open 活 →

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 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng動dòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Open 动 →

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 →

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