顶楼 (dǐng lóu) — top floor (of a building); penthouse

Definition

The top floor of a building (where a luxury apartment or penthouse often sits). Note: 顶楼 is the Chinese-English label, not a countable noun — say 顶楼的一套公寓, not 一个顶楼.

noun
top floor (of a building)penthouse

Examples

  • 顶楼，。
    Tā zhù zài dǐng lóu, kě yǐ kàn dào zhěng gè chéng shì de fēng jǐng.
    He lives on the top floor and can see the whole city view.
  • 顶楼。
    Zhè dòng lóu de dǐng lóu shì yí tào háo huá gōng yù.
    The top floor of this building is a luxury apartment.
  • 顶楼，。
    Wǒ men gōng sī zū le dǐng lóu de bàn gōng shì, cǎi guāng hěn hǎo.
    Our company rented an office on the top floor; the lighting is very good.

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.

顶dǐngtop
楼lóufloor

顶, the top, describes 楼, giving the top floor or attic.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 頂; 顶 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yèhead
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng頂dǐng
Same sound today

The traditional form 頂 pairs 頁, meaning head, with 丁, which supplies the sound; the simplified 顶 is a later abbreviation.

Open 顶 →

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 →
Appears in
Buildings & Structures

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