Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 房子 | fángzi | /fɑŋ³⁵ d͡z̥ɹ̩³/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /faŋ²¹ t͡sɹ̩⁵³/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 房屋 | fángwū | /fɑŋ³⁵ u⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /fɔːŋ²¹ ʊk̚⁵/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
|
| 家 | jiā | /t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /d͡ʑ̥i̯ä/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 屋子 | wūzi | /u⁵⁵ d͡z̥ɹ̩²/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /vu²¹ t͡sɹ̩⁵³/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 厝 | chhù | /t͡sʰu⁴¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Tong'an, Philippines, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) /t͡sʰu¹¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Tong'an, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Taipei, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
| 住宅 | chū-the̍h, chū-the̍eh | /t͡su⁴¹⁻²² tʰeʔ²⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) /t͡su³³⁻¹¹ tʰeʔ⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Sinological IPA, Taipei, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
While there are many ways to say house, the most common way to refer to the concept of 'home' or one's household is 家. When speaking about the physical building or the concept of housing in a general sense, other terms are used.
Which one should you use?
The term 房子 refers specifically to the physical structure of a house. In contrast, 家 emphasizes the concept of home or family. For example, when asking someone where they live, it is more natural to use 家 than the physical building term 房子. For more technical or collective contexts, 房屋 is used to refer to buildings or housing generally.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In southern China, specifically in Guangdong province and Hong Kong, the term 樓 is used to refer to multi-story buildings or apartments.
How does it change in a sentence?
When counting houses or rooms, you must use a measure word such as 间 or 套 instead of the number alone.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is fángzi and the IPA is /fɑŋ³⁵ dz̥ɹ̩³/
Did you know?
- The word 家 for 'home' is a compound of the characters for 'roof' and 'pig'. In ancient China, a house was not considered a home unless it sheltered livestock.
- The term 家 is used as a measure word for businesses, such as shops or restaurants. This treats a commercial establishment as a 'household' of trade.
- The character 厂, found in the etymology of 厝, is a radical that literally depicts a 'cliff' or 'precipice', which provides a visual hint to its ancient meanings.
Examples in context
- 我家在這裡。My house is here.This sentence is useful for stating the location of your home using 家.Tatoeba #1275340 by egg0073, translation #1275336 by CM
- 你家在哪裡？Where is your house?This sentence is useful for asking the location of someone's home using 家.Tatoeba #1440409 by egg0073, translation #370706 by saeb
- 她家在哪儿？Where is her house?Tatoeba #1691786 by sadhen, translation #481895 by CK
- 我有一所房子。I have a house.
- 这是一座豪华住宅。This is a luxurious residence.
- 我住的房屋很小，但舒适。The house I live in is small but cozy.
- 471 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zihan and Junjie are talking about Zihan's new home.
- 梓涵 Zihan我想买一套新房子。Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yī tào xīn fángzi.I want to buy a new house.
- 俊杰 Junjie那套房子很大吗？Nà tào fángzi hěn dà ma?Is that house very big?
- 梓涵 Zihan房子不大，但是很舒服。Fángzi bù dà, dànshì hěn shūfu.The house isn't big, but it's very comfortable.
- 俊杰 Junjie听起来很不错，梓涵。Tīng qǐlái hěn bùcuò, Zǐhán.That sounds great, Zihan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “house” translations and entries 房子, 房屋, 家, 屋子, 厝, 住宅, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 厝, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
