noun HSK 4
apartment · apartment building · flat
Meaning
公寓 refers to an apartment or flat, typically in a multi-unit residential building. It's a common modern housing type in Chinese cities, where residents own or rent individual units within a larger building structure.
Usage
公寓 is the standard term for apartments in mainland China, Taiwan, and other Chinese-speaking regions. It's used for both rented and owned apartments. In casual speech, people might also say 房子 (house/place) when the apartment context is clear, but 公寓 is more specific and formal.
Examples
- 01我在市中心租了一套公寓。.I rented an apartment in the city center.
- 02这栋公寓楼有二十层。.This apartment building has twenty floors.
Characters
Measure words
- 套一套公寓
- 间一间公寓
Common collocations
- 租公寓to rent an apartment
- 公寓楼apartment building
- 买公寓to buy an apartment
- 小公寓small apartment, studio
Origin
The word combines 公 (public/communal) with 寓 (residence), literally meaning 'communal residence,' reflecting the shared building structure of apartment complexes.