雙層床 / 双层床
shuāngcéngchuáng
The English phrase 'bunk bed' is translated into Mandarin as 雙層床 / 双层床 (shuāngcéngchuáng). Wiktionary also lists 上下鋪 / 上下铺 (shàngxiàpù).
Meaning: two or more beds fixed on top of one another (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 雙層床 / 双层床 | shuāngcéngchuáng |
| 上下鋪 / 上下铺 | shàngxiàpù |
Mandarin uses different terms depending on the context of the bed. 雙層床 / 双层床 is a general term for a double-layered bed, while 上下鋪 / 上下铺 is the standard way to refer to bunk beds found in specific settings like hostels or on Chinese sleeper trains.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 雙層床 / 双层床 (shuāngcéngchuáng) is composed of 雙 (double/pair), 層 (layer) and 床 (bed). The term 上下鋪 / 上下铺 (shàngxiàpù) is composed of 上 (upper), 下 (lower) and 鋪 (bunk/bed).
Which one should you use?
雙層床 / 双层床 acts as a general term for any double-layered bed. In contrast, 上下鋪 / 上下铺 is more commonly used when referring to bunk beds in the context of travel, such as on a train or in a hostel and literally translates to 'top and bottom beds'.
How do you pronounce it?
shuāngcéngchuáng
Did you know?
- In Chinese sleeper trains, the 上下鋪 / 上下铺 can actually be a three-tier system. The middle bunk is called the 中鋪 / 中铺, which is essentially a fold-down bed that only exists during nighttime hours.
- The word 鋪 / 铺 in 上下鋪 / 上下铺 originally referred to a mat or a simple spread on the floor. This reflects a historical shift from sleeping on floor mats to raised bed frames.
- In Chinese student dormitories, the 上下鋪 / 上下铺 is often a site of social negotiation. Students may use the term 搶鋪 / 抢铺 to describe the competitive act of claiming the preferred lower bunk.
Examples in context
- 请让我住下铺吧。Please let me have the bottom bunk.
- 这个宿舍有双层床。This dormitory has bunk beds.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bunk bed” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
