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noun HSK 2
chuāng
window

Meaning

窗 means 'window' and refers to an opening in a wall or door that lets in light and air. It's one of the most basic architectural vocabulary words in Chinese and is used in everyday contexts when talking about buildings, rooms, and vehicles.

Usage

This is a common, neutral-register word used by all speakers. It typically appears in compound words like 窗户 (chuānghu, window) or 窗口 (chuāngkǒu, window/counter). When counting windows, use the measure word 扇 (shàn).

Examples

  1. 01
    请把窗户打开，房间里太闷了。
    Qǐng bǎ chuānghu dǎkāi, fángjiān lǐ tài mèn le.
    Please open the window, it's too stuffy in the room.
  2. 02
    他坐在窗边看书。
    Tā zuò zài chuāng biān kànshū.
    He sat by the window reading a book.

Measure words

  • 扇shàn一扇窗

Common collocations

  • 开窗
    kāi chuāng
    to open a window
  • 关窗
    guān chuāng
    to close a window
  • 窗帘
    chuānglián
    curtain
  • 窗台
    chuāngtái
    windowsill

Origin

The character 窗 contains the 'roof' radical (穴) on top, indicating it's part of a structure, with 囱 (cōng, chimney) as the phonetic component, suggesting an opening in a building.

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