Meaning
房子 is one of the most common everyday words for 'house' or 'building' in Mandarin. It refers to any structure used for living or working, from small rooms to large houses. The character 房 originally meant 'room' or 'house,' and 子 is a common noun suffix that doesn't add specific meaning here but makes the word feel more colloquial and natural.
Usage
This is the standard, neutral term for 'house' used in everyday conversation. Native speakers use it when talking about buying, renting, or living in a house. It's more casual than formal terms like 住宅 (zhù zhái). Common in phrases like 买房子 (buy a house) and 租房子 (rent a house). Can also refer to any building or even individual rooms in certain contexts.
Examples
- 01我们家的房子有三个卧室。.Our house has three bedrooms.
- 02他在北京买了一套房子。.He bought a house in Beijing.
Characters
Measure words
- 栋一栋房子
- 间三间房子
- 套两套房子
Common collocations
- 买房子to buy a house
- 租房子to rent a house
- 盖房子to build a house
- 老房子old house
Origin
房 is a pictophonetic character combining 户 (door) and 方 (square/direction), suggesting an enclosed space. 子 is added as a diminutive or colloquial suffix, a common pattern in northern Mandarin dialects that spread throughout standard Chinese.