Apartment Building in Chinese 楼里
lóu lǐ
Apartment building in Chinese is 公寓楼 (gōng yù lóu).
Also searched for as: apartment, lift, elevator, flat, floor.
Who and what is in your building? 15 essential my building words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
In Chinese cities most people live in apartment blocks, so knowing the words for the building around you is surprisingly useful. Your address may include a 单元 (dān yuán), the numbered entrance or stairwell within a block, and the 物业 (wù yè), the property management office, handles everything from repairs to rubbish. Words like 楼上 (lóu shàng), 隔壁 (gé bì) and 快递柜 (kuài dì guì) help you deal with neighbours and deliveries.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 大门 | dà mén | main entrance; gate |
| 门铃 | mén líng | doorbell |
| 单元 | dān yuán | unit; block entrance |
| 楼上 | lóu shàng | upstairs |
| 楼下 | lóu xià | downstairs |
| 隔壁 | gé bì | next door |
| 电梯 | diàn tī | lift; elevator |
| 楼梯 | lóu tī | stairs |
| 物业 | wù yè | property management |
| 快递柜 | kuài dì guì | parcel locker |
| 信箱 | xìn xiāng | letterbox |
| 车库 | chē kù | garage |
| 垃圾桶 | lā jī tǒng | bin |
| 保安 | bǎo ān | security guard |
| 住户 | zhù hù | resident |
Usage tips
- Many estates have a 保安 (bǎo ān) at the gate who checks visitors, so be ready to give the building and entrance number, such as 五号楼三单元 (wǔ hào lóu sān dān yuán).
- 楼下 (lóu xià) often means 'at the bottom of my building', so 我在楼下 (wǒ zài lóu xià) is the usual message when you've arrived to pick someone up.
- 快递 (kuài dì) is a parcel delivery; couriers often leave packages in a 快递柜 (kuài dì guì) and send you a pickup code.
Common mistakes
- Saying 旁边的房子 for 'next door': the natural word is 隔壁 (gé bì), as in 隔壁的邻居 (gé bì de lín jū), while 邻居 (lín jū) on its own is any neighbour.
- Translating 'take the stairs' as 拿楼梯: 拿 means to carry something in your hand. Say 走楼梯 (zǒu lóu tī) and 坐电梯 (zuò diàn tī), 'take the lift'.
Mini dialogue
- A你好，我找五号楼的王先生。Nǐ hǎo, wǒ zhǎo wǔ hào lóu de Wáng xiān sheng.Hello, I'm looking for Mr Wang in Building 5.
- B几单元？Jǐ dān yuán?Which entrance?
- A二单元，八楼。电梯能用吗？Èr dān yuán, bā lóu. Diàn tī néng yòng ma?Entrance 2, eighth floor. Is the lift working?
- B电梯坏了，你得走楼梯。Diàn tī huài le, nǐ děi zǒu lóu tī.The lift's broken, so you'll have to take the stairs.
Example sentences
- 小区的大门晚上十二点关。The estate gate closes at midnight.
- 门铃响了，谁啊？The doorbell rang, who is it?
- 我住在三号楼二单元。I live in Building 3, Entrance 2.
- 楼上的邻居很吵。The upstairs neighbours are noisy.
- 楼下有一家便利店。There's a convenience store downstairs.
- 隔壁住着一对老夫妻。An old couple lives next door.
- 电梯坏了，只能走楼梯。The lift's broken, we have to take the stairs.
- 楼梯很窄。The stairs are narrow.
- 有问题可以找物业。If there's a problem you can contact property management.
- 快递放在快递柜里了。The parcel is in the locker.
- 信箱里有一封信。There's a letter in the letterbox.
- 车停在地下车库。The car is parked in the underground garage.
- 垃圾桶在楼下。The bins are downstairs.
- 保安认识所有的住户。The guard knows every resident.
- 这栋楼有一百多个住户。This building has over a hundred residents.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The My building speaking island has 8 everyday questions about my building to prepare your own answers to.