書桌 / 书桌
shūzhuō
To say desk in Chinese, use 書桌 / 书桌 (shūzhuō), a table for writing and reading. If unsure, use 書桌 / 书桌. Wiktionary also lists 寫字檯 / 寫字枱 / 寫字臺 / 寫字台 (xiězìtái).
Meaning: table for writing and reading (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 書桌 / 书桌 | shūzhuō |
| 寫字檯 / 寫字枱 / 寫字臺 / 寫字台 | xiězìtái |
In offices and other professional settings, a desk is 办公桌.
What does it mean word for word?
书桌 combines 书, meaning book and 桌, meaning table. 写字台 combines 写字, to write characters and 台, a platform or stand.
Which one should you use?
書桌 is the general word for a study desk, while 寫字檯 / 寫字枱 / 寫字臺 / 寫字台 (xiězìtái) stresses the function of writing at the table.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The spellings with 檯 or 枱 are more common in certain regional written styles or older texts than the simpler 台.
How do you pronounce it?
In pinyin it is shūzhuō, with a high level tone on both syllables.
Did you know?
- In traditional Chinese culture, the placement of a 書桌 was carefully planned using feng shui to ensure the student could see the door without being directly in line with it, which was believed to invite better focus and success.
- The term 写字台 uses the word 台, which also means 'stage' or 'platform', framing the act of writing as a dedicated performance.
- In Chinese, the word for 'desk' in a professional office, 办公桌, literally describes a 'work-handling table'.
Examples in context
- 请问，我在哪里能找到一张 桌子?Excuse me, where can I find a desk?
- 我买了一张新 办公桌 用于我的家庭办公室。I bought a new desk for my home office.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “desk” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
