noun / adjective HSK 3
next door · neighboring · next to
Meaning
隔壁 literally means 'separated wall' and refers to something next door or adjacent to your location. It's commonly used to describe the room, house, apartment, or building that shares a wall with yours, or is immediately beside your current position.
Usage
This is an everyday word used frequently in casual conversation. It can function as a noun (the neighbor, the place next door) or as an adjective (next-door, neighboring). Often appears in phrases like 隔壁邻居 (next-door neighbor) or 隔壁房间 (the room next door).
Examples
- 01隔壁住着一对年轻夫妇。.A young couple lives next door.
- 02你听见隔壁房间的声音了吗？?Did you hear the sound from the room next door?
Characters
Common collocations
- 隔壁邻居next-door neighbor
- 隔壁房间the room next door
- 隔壁老王Old Wang next door (colloquial, sometimes humorous)
Origin
The compound combines 隔 (to separate) and 壁 (wall), literally meaning 'separated by a wall,' which naturally extends to mean 'next door.'