健身房
jiànshēnfáng
In Chinese, the word for gym is 健身房 (jiànshēnfáng). Wiktionary also lists 體育館 / 体育馆 (tǐyùguǎn).
Meaning: sporting facility specialized for lifting weights and exercise (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 健身房 | jiànshēnfáng |
| 體育館 / 体育馆 | tǐyùguǎn |
The term is used to describe a sporting facility specialized for lifting weights and exercise.
What does it mean word for word?
健身房 is a compound of 健身, meaning 'to fitness/exercise the body' and 房, meaning 'room'.
Which one should you use?
健身房 refers specifically to a fitness center or weightlifting gym. In contrast, 体育馆 refers to a larger sports arena, multi-purpose gymnasium or sports hall used for activities like basketball or badminton.
Is it said differently in some regions?
健身房 is the standard term used in most regions of China, including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
How do you pronounce it?
jiànshēnfáng
Did you know?
- In many Chinese cities, 健身房 are often located inside large shopping malls rather than as standalone buildings. This integrates exercise into a day of shopping and dining.
- While English speakers often say they are 'going to the gym', a Chinese speaker might say they are 'going to do fitness' or 去健身, treating the activity itself as the destination.
- While 体育馆 is used for a 'gymnasium', the word 体育 literally means 'physical education'. A person going to a 体育馆 is often there for a formal event rather than a personal workout.
Examples in context
- 你今天去不去健身房？Are you going to the gym today?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is going to the gym today with 健身房.Tatoeba #2135460 by GlossaMatik, translation #2135459 by CM
- 我去註冊一家健身房。I'm going to register at a gym.This sentence is useful for mentioning registration at a gym with 健身房.Tatoeba #6999507 by xjjAstrus, translation #7156267 by Kiwi
- 欣怡最近瘦好多喔，是去健身房還是失戀啊？Hsin-yi got so much slimmer lately. Is it gym or heartbreak?This sentence is useful for a humorous comment about weight loss and the gym with 健身房.Tatoeba #13523779 by LeviHighway, translation #13523804 by LeviHighway
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei and Yuting are discussing their weekend plans.
- 伟 Wei雨婷，妳週末要去健身房嗎？Yǔtíng, nǐ zhōumò yào qù jiànshēnfáng ma?Yuting, are you going to the gym this weekend?
- 雨婷 Yuting我想去，但是我想先休息。Wǒ xiǎng qù, dànshì wǒ xiǎng xiān xiūxi.I want to go, but I want to rest first.
- 伟 Wei那妳下週再去也可以。Nà nǐ xià zhōu zài qù yě kěyǐ.Then it is fine if you go next week.
- 雨婷 Yuting謝謝，那我下週一定會去。Xièxiè, nà wǒ xià zhōu yīdìng huì qù.Thank you, then I will definitely go next week.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gym” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
