圖書館 / 图书馆
túshūguǎn
The English word library is translated into Chinese as 圖書館 / 图书馆 (túshūguǎn). If unsure, use 圖書館 / 图书馆. Wiktionary also lists 圕 (tuān, túshūguǎn).
Meaning: institution which holds books, etc. (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 圖書館 / 图书馆 | túshūguǎn | ||
| 圖書館 / 图书馆 | tô͘-su-koán | Hokkien | |
| 圕 | tuān, túshūguǎn | /tʰu̯än⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /tʰu³⁵ ʂu⁵⁵ ku̯än²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) |
uncommon |
The term refers to an institution that holds books and other materials. If you are specifically referring to an architectural structure designed to house books, such as a book tower or book pavilion, you might use the term 藏书楼.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 圖書館 / 图书馆 is composed of three parts: 圖 (tú), meaning 'picture/map'. 書 (shū), meaning 'book'. And 館 (guǎn), meaning 'building/establishment'.
Which one should you use?
The term can be written in two ways depending on the script: 圖書館 is the traditional character form, and 图书馆 is the simplified character form. Additionally, the form 圕 is an uncommon way to express this concept.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Dungan language, the word for library is фуфон. In Hokkien, the term used is 圖書館 / 图书馆.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization for 圖書館 / 图书馆 is tô͘-su-koán.
Did you know?
- The rare character 圕 was invented in the early 20th century by a library science expert to condense the three characters of 圖書館 into one.
- The character 館 in 圖書館 can also refer to a restaurant or a guest house, depending on the other words it is paired with.
- In traditional Chinese, the word for library uses 圖, which originally meant a map or a drawing before it meant a general illustration.
Examples in context
- 我经常在图书馆学习。I often study in the library.
- 大家都在图书室看书。Everyone is reading in the library.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “library” translations and entries 圕, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 圕, CC BY-SA 4.0.
