建築 / 建筑
jiànzhù
A general Chinese word for building is 建築 / 建筑 (jiànzhù), and the fuller noun is 建築物 / 建筑物 (jiànzhùwù). If unsure, use 建築 / 建筑.
Meaning: closed structure with walls and a roof (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 建築 / 建筑 | jiànzhù |
| 建築物 / 建筑物 | jiànzhùwù |
In everyday speech 楼 (lóu) is a very common word for a building, and 大楼 is used for large or prominent ones such as skyscrapers. Large commercial buildings are also often called 大厦. 建筑物 suits technical or professional contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
建築 works both as a noun meaning architecture and as a verb meaning to build or construct, so 建築物 is clearer when you mean one particular structure.
How do you pronounce it?
Say jiànzhù with two falling tones.
Did you know?
- In Chinese, the concept of 'building' is closely tied to the word 建 ('jiàn'), which can also mean 'to establish' or 'to suggest'. This links the physical act of construction to the mental act of creating an idea.
- In some contexts, 楼 (lóu) can refer to a specific floor, but it is also used as a slang term in online forums to refer to the 'floor' or sequence of a user's post.
- Traditional Chinese courtyard houses, known as 四合院 (sìhéyuàn), are often not called 楼 (lóu) because they prioritize horizontal expansion over vertical height.
Examples in context
- 这是一栋高楼。(zhè shì yí dòng gāo lóu)This is a tall building.
- 这是一座办公大楼。(zhè shì yí zuò bàn gōng dà lóu)This is an office building.
- 这些建筑物都有独特的设计。(zhè xiē jiàn zhù wù dōu yǒu dú tè de shè jì)These buildings all have unique designs.
- 我住在那座楼房里。(wǒ zhù zài nà zuò lóu fáng lǐ)I live in that building.
- 佢喺呢座楼宇工作。(keoi hai ni jeuk lóu yǔ gung zok)He works in this building.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “building” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
