Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 床 | chuáng | /ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ɑŋ³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /t͡sʰuaŋ²¹/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 睡鋪 / 睡铺 | shuìpù | ||
| 臥榻 / 卧榻 | wòtà | literary | |
| 床 | chhn̂g | /t͡sʰŋ̍¹³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) /t͡sʰŋ̍²⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Sinological IPA, Taipei, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
| 眠床 | bîn-chhn̂g | /bin²⁴⁻¹¹ t͡sʰŋ̍²⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Tong'an, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Lukang, Yilan, Tainan, Kinmen, Taichung, Penang, Singapore, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Anxi, Sanxia, Magong, Hsinchu) /bin²⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʰŋ̍²⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Tong'an, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Lukang, Yilan, Tainan, Kinmen, Taichung, Penang, Singapore, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Anxi, Sanxia, Magong, Hsinchu) |
Hokkien |
| 床鋪 / 床铺 | chhn̂g-pho͘ | Hokkien |
The term is used to refer to the piece of furniture used for sleeping. When counting beds, use the measure word 张. Additionally, the idiomatic phrase 起床 is used to mean 'to get out of bed' or 'to wake up'. Note that the related verb 睡 can, in certain informal contexts, serve as a euphemism for having sexual intercourse.
Which one should you use?
床 refers to the bed itself, whereas 床鋪 often refers more specifically to the bedding or the entire sleeping arrangement.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
床 is the most common word for bed in Chinese. 床铺 is a formal term often used in official contexts, such as in hotels or train carriages. 臥榻 is a highly formal or literary term for a bed or couch and is rarely used in daily conversation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form ячуон is used in Dungan, while 床 and 眠床 are forms found in Hokkien.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization for 床 is chhn̂g. The IPA is /ʈʂʰu̯ɑŋ³⁵/.
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, the position and direction of the 床 are often strictly dictated by Feng Shui to ensure health and harmony.
- The character 床 uses the radical for 'house' (广) combined with 'wood' (木) to visually represent a piece of wooden furniture kept inside a home.
- While 床 is the standard word, the Dungan language uses the form ячуон, reflecting the influence of the Cyrillic alphabet on this Chinese-based language.
Examples in context
- 請整理床鋪。Please make the bed.This sentence shows how to use 床 when talking about making the bed.Tatoeba #3416059 by egg0073, translation #33956 by CK
- 你起床了嗎？Are you out of bed?This sentence uses 床 to ask if someone has gotten out of bed.Tatoeba #10221072 by xjjAstrus, translation #10657387 by sundown
- 我十一点上床。I go to bed at eleven.This sentence uses 床 to describe the time one goes to bed.Tatoeba #5554058 by verdastelo9604, translation #73354 by CK
- 我在家睡在舒适的床上。I sleep on a comfortable bed at home.
- 我已经预订好了一张床铺。I have already booked a bed.
- 我们在你的床子上看电影吧！Let's watch a movie on your bed!
- 我喜欢在床上听音乐。I like listening to music on the bed.
- 我有两张床。I have two beds.
- 123 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two people are looking at a new apartment.
- 浩然 Haoran妳看，這間臥室有一張大床。nǐ kàn, zhè jiān wòshì yǒu yī zhāng dà chuáng.Look, this bedroom has a large bed.
- 梓涵 Zihan浩然，這張床看起來很舒服。hàorán, zhè zhāng chuáng kàn qǐlái hěn shūfú.Haoran, this bed looks very comfortable.
- 浩然 Haoran妳喜歡這張床嗎？nǐ xǐhuān zhè zhāng chuáng ma?Do you like this bed?
- 梓涵 Zihan我很喜歡，顏色也很漂亮。wǒ hěn xǐhuān, yánsè yě hěn piàoliang.I like it a lot, the color is also beautiful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bed” translations and entries 床, 床, 眠床, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 床, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
