煙筒 / 烟筒
yāntong
The English word "chimney" can be translated into Chinese as 煙筒 / 烟筒 (yāntong). Wiktionary also lists 煙囪 / 烟囱 (yāncōng) and 煙窗 / 烟窗 (yānchuāng).
Meaning: vertical tube or hollow column, a flue (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 煙筒 / 烟筒 | yāntong |
| 煙囪 / 烟囱 | yāncōng |
| 煙窗 / 烟窗 | yānchuāng |
The term 烟囱 can refer to both residential and industrial chimneys.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 煙囪 / 烟囱 is composed of 煙 (smoke) and 囪 (a specialized character for a chimney or flue), literally meaning "smoke chimney".
Which one should you use?
While both terms refer to a chimney, 煙囪 / 烟囱 is the more common term for a structural chimney on a house or a factory stack, whereas 煙筒 / 烟筒 often refers to a smaller tube or a cylindrical exhaust pipe.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is yāntong.
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, the 'chimney' concept is often linked to the 'hearth' or 'kitchen god' 灶王爷, as the flue is the physical path through which prayers and smoke reach the heavens.
- In certain architectural contexts, the term 煙囪 is used metaphorically in modern Chinese to describe 'chimney industries' 煙囪工業, referring to heavy, polluting manufacturing.
- Traditional Chinese houses often lacked a western-style 'chimney' 煙囪, instead using a 'smoke hole' or 'vent' that allowed smoke to filter through the thatch or tiles.
Examples in context
- 请在冬季之前清洁烟囱。Please clean the chimney before winter.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chimney” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
