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house / room

fáng
8 strokes · 户 (door) + 方 (phonetic) · HSK 1

Where 房 comes from

房 = 户 (a single-leaf door) + 方 (for the sound). 户 is half of 门 (a double door) — a picture of one door panel. A space behind a door = a room or house.

房 in Chinese culture

房 means a house or room: 房子 (a house, with 子), 房间 (a room — pairs with 间, next), 房东 (landlord, 'house-east/host'). Housing is a huge theme in modern Chinese life — owning a 房子 is often seen as essential before marriage, and 房价 (housing prices) is a constant topic of conversation. The character behind the door carries a lot of weight.

Example

房子 fángzi — house

他的房子很大。
Tā de fángzi hěn dà.
His house is big.

How to remember it

A space behind a door (户) — a ROOM, a HOUSE.

户 (the left of 房) is half of 门 — one door panel. Owning a 房子 (house) looms large in modern Chinese life; 房价 (housing prices) is everyone's favorite worry.

Same sound, different tones

1st fāng
square
2nd fáng
house
访
3rd fǎng
to visit
4th fàng
to put

Words unlocked by 房

房子 fángzi
house
房间 fángjiān
room
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