Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 窗戶 / 窗户 | chuānghù | ||
| 窗口 | chuāngkǒu | /ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ kʰoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /t͡sʰœːŋ⁵⁵ hɐu̯³⁵/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
|
| 窗子 | chuāngzi | /ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ d͡z̥ɹ̩²/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /t͡sʰaŋ⁵⁵ t͡sɹ̩⁵³/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 牖 | yǒu | /joʊ̯²¹⁴/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /jɐu̯¹³/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
literary |
| 軒 / 轩 | xuān | literary | |
| 櫳 / 栊 | lóng | literary | |
| 窗仔門 / 窗仔门 | thang-á-mn̂g, thang-á-mûi | Hokkien | |
| 窗 | thang | /tʰaŋ⁴⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Xiamen) /t͡sʰɔŋ⁴⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Xiamen) |
Hokkien |
The term refers to an opening for light and air.
Which one should you use?
While 窗户 refers to a physical window in a building, 窗口 is often used metaphorically to mean a "window of opportunity" or a computer "window" in software.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form 牖 is a highly formal or literary term for a window, rarely used in spoken modern Chinese except in classical poetry or specific historical contexts. The form 窗子 uses the suffix -zi to turn the noun into a more colloquial, spoken-style noun. The term 窗户儿 is an informal way to say window.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Beijing and its surrounding areas, people use the word 窗户儿 to refer to a window. The form 窗子 is a colloquial, spoken-style noun common in Northern dialects.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "to open the window", one typically uses the verb-object construction 开 (to open) followed by 窗 (window).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation for 窗戶 / 窗户 is chuānghù.
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, the 'window' of a house is often strategically placed according to 风水 (Feng Shui) to manage the flow of energy and avoid 'sha qi' or killing energy.
- The character 窗 is an ideogrammic compound combining the radicals for 'hole' 穴 and 'window' 囱. This means the character's visual structure literally illustrates a hole in a wall to let in light.
- The term 窗户 can be used in the idiom 窗户纸 (window paper) to describe a secret or a thin barrier of misunderstanding that is about to be 'broken' or revealed.
Examples in context
- 可以开窗吗？Can I open the window?This sentence is useful for practicing the verb-object construction with 窗.Tatoeba #5097880 by mirrorvan, translation #274195 by CK
- 她看了窗外。She looked out of the window.Tatoeba #8387375 by wangchou, translation #315530 by CK
- 我望向窗外。I looked out the window.Tatoeba #13109231 by LeviHighway, translation #259183 by CK
- 请把窗户关上。Please close the window.
- 把窗子开一下，让新鲜空气进来。Open the window a bit to let fresh air in.
- 我喜欢坐在窗边看书。I enjoy sitting by the window and reading.
- 你能把窗户儿打开一下吗？Can you open the window, please?
- 134 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “window” translations and entries 窗口, 窗子, 牖, 窗, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 窗, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
