97 House Vocabulary in Chinese (House Parts, Rooms & Objects)

Have you ever wondered what a house is called in Chinese? Knowing the key Chinese house vocabulary such as room names, home appliances, and furniture is very useful as you will probably need to use these words every day in China.

Luckily for you, we got this entire article dedicated to “house” in Chinese. We’re going to help you understand and use over 90 essential household vocabulary expressions. We will go around to each of the rooms in the house and show you what is typically there in Chinese households so you can use those words instantly in life. You’ll be able to expand your vocabulary even if you are an advanced Mandarin speaker!

Sound good? Let’s get started.

How to Say “House” in Chinese

First and foremost, the word for “house” in Mandarin Chinese is:

房子 (fángzi)

It’s a very quick and simple word for you to learn. 房 (fáng) means house, and 子 (zi) is a nominal suffix used after many nouns in Chinese. Depending on the situation and context, 房子 (fángzi) may also mean apartment or room. You can use this word colloquially as well as in written language.

Another common way of saying “house” in Chinese is:

房 (fáng)

You may simply use 房 (fáng), which is essentially the shortened version of 房子 (fángzi) to refer to a house sometimes. However, this word is rarely used on its own. Usually, it appears in house-related words and phrases.

For instance,

平房 (píng fáng) – bungalow (literally, “flat house”)
买房 (mǎi fáng) – buy (a) house
租房 (zū fáng) – rent (a) house

We’ll cover more house-related vocabulary in a minute. But before that, there is one thing you need to note:

The Measure Word for House in Chinese

In Chinese, all nouns require a measure word when counted. For instance, you wouldn’t just say “a house”, or “two apartments”, you would have to say “a [measure word] house” and “two [measure word] apartments”.

The most common measure words for 房子 (fángzi) – “house” in Chinese are 栋 (dòng) and 幢 (zhuàng). You can use them interchangeably, like

一栋房子 (yí dòng fángzi) – a house
两幢房子 (liǎng zhuàng fángzi) – two houses

However, if you are using 房子 (fángzi) to refer to an apartment, the proper measure word would be 套 (tào). For instance:

这套房子 (zhè tào fángzi) – this apartment

And when you are referencing a room, use 间 (jiān) instead as the measure word.

Example:

楼上有三间房。
Lóu shàng yǒu sān jiān fáng.
There are three rooms upstairs.

Parts of the House in Chinese

Now use the picture below to learn the names of different parts of the house in Chinese. Simply move your mouse around and the words will present themselves in Chinese.

House-related Vocabulary in Chinese

It’s a good idea to add 房子/房 (fángzi/fáng) to your basic Chinese vocabulary, as it’s the building block of many useful daily words and phrases in Chinese.

Below are the most common house-related Chinese vocabulary words. We provide them with the Chinese characters as well as Pinyin romanization to help you pronounce the words. You’ll see that pairing 房(子)/fáng(zi) with different characters creates interesting compound words that relate to the house.

Chinese	Pinyin Pronunciation	English
房间	fángjiān	room
楼房	lóufáng	building
买房(子)	mǎi fáng(zi)	buy a house
卖房(子)	mài fáng(zi)	sell a house
房价	fáng jià	house price
租房(子)	zū fáng(zi)	rent a house
房租	fáng zū	house rent
房东	fángdōng	landlord
房客	fángkè	tenant

Home vs House in Chinese

If you’ve started to learn Chinese, you may already be familiar with another word – 家 (jiā), which means “home” in Chinese.

Like in English, people make a distinction between “home” and “house” in Chinese. While 家 (jiā) can refer to any place that we live in such as a house, a tent, a boat, a cave, or even the abstract notion, 房子 (fángzi) only means the physical building.

For example, if you live in a camper van, then your camper van can be your 家 (jiā), but not your 房子 (fángzi) – even if the Chinese word for camper van – 房车 (fáng chē) translates to “house car”.

All right, now that we have cleared all that up, let’s get onto talking about the different types of houses in Chinese.

Types of Houses in Chinese

There are a few types of Chinese houses and homes such as 公寓 (gōngyù), 别墅 (biéshù), 平房 (píng fáng), 老公房 (lǎo gōngfáng), etc.

Most Chinese people don’t live in single-family detached houses. Instead, they often live in apartments, especially in cities.

Here are the Chinese words for the different types of houses that people commonly live in.

1. 公寓 (gōngyù)

The standard Chinese word for “apartment” is 公寓 (gōngyù), though it’s often called 房子 (fángzi) as well in spoken Chinese. 公寓 (gōngyù) are the choice of the majority of Chinese people as they are cheaper.

2. 老公房 (lǎo gōngfáng)

老公房 (lǎo gōngfáng) are those communist-style apartment blocks built by the Chinese government in the 1950s-1980s to accommodate the working class. Nowadays, most of such old houses are resided by old people.

3. 商住两用房 (shāng zhù liǎng yòng fáng)

商住两用房 (shāng zhù liǎng yòng fáng) refers to the houses wherein a building comprises a mix of residential apartments and offices.

4. 别墅 (biéshù)

In Chinese, 别墅 (biéshù) is the generic word for a house that’s used as a residence, and usually housing a single household. A small house like a cottage is called a 小别墅 (xiǎo biéshù) – “small house” while a villa is referred to as a 豪华别墅 (háohuá biéshù) – “luxurious house”.

The term 别墅 (biéshù) may also be used for townhouses. To be more precise, you can call a stand-alone house 独栋别墅 (dúdòng biéshù), and a townhouse 联排别墅 (liánpái biéshù).

5. 平房 (píng fáng)

平房 (píng fáng) – bungalows used to be a popular type of house in China. A traditional type of bungalow you can still find throughout the country, most famously in Beijing, is called 四合院 (sì hé yuàn).

6. 石库门 (shí kù mén)

石库门 (shí kù mén), literally “stone warehouse gate”, is the most representative house style of Shanghai. These are clusters of two to three-story terrace houses that were built around the city in the early 20th century.

7. 农民房 (nóngmín fáng)

A 农民房 (nóngmín fáng), or “farmer’s house”, as the name suggests, is a rustic house with little aesthetic appeal built by farmers themselves in the countryside. An upscale house located in rural settings is instead referred to as 乡间别墅 (xiāngjiān biéshù) – “countryside house”.

8. 蒙古包 (Měnggǔ bāo)

蒙古包 (Měnggǔ bāo) refers to the primary housing structures that the Mongols use in China’s Inner Mongolia region (which is the home to more than 4 million Mongols). Like the usual residence, the yurt also has all the amenities.

9. 小屋 (xiǎo wū)

小屋 (xiǎo wū) is what we call “cabin” in Chinese. Like 房 (fáng), the word 屋 (wū) also means house or room. The primary difference you might find is that 屋 (wū) is usually smaller, simpler, and has less finishing compared to 房 (fáng). A cabin that is built from logs is called 小木屋 (xiǎo mù wū).

10. 树屋 (shù wū)

Yes, they do exist. Treehouses are called 树屋 (shù wū) in Chinese.

Rooms in the House in Chinese

As we’ve mentioned, the word 房 (fáng) can be used as a casual term for “room”. But a more formal word for room in Chinese is 房间 (fángjiān).

So, what are the Chinese names of the various 房间 (fángjiān) in a house?

Below is a quick rundown of the common room names in Chinese.

English	Chinese	Pinyin
living room	客厅	kètīng
dining room	餐厅	cāntīng
kitchen	厨房	chúfáng
bathroom	卫生间	wèishēngjiān
laundry room	洗衣间	xǐyījiān
bedroom	卧室	wòshì
office	办公室	bàngōngshì
study	书房	shūfáng
hallway	玄关	xuánguān
attic	阁楼	gélóu
basement	地下室	dìxiàshì
garage	车库	chēkù
balcony	阳台	yángtái
garden	花园	huāyuán

Now let’s learn how to use all of these words with some details.

Living Room in Chinese: 客厅 (kètīng)

Usually the most spacious room located at the front of the house, the living room is where Chinese families gather together for leisure. In China, the living room is called 客厅 (kètīng), literally “guest hall”, since it was originally a place to entertain visitors.

Dining Room in Chinese: 餐厅 (cāntīng)

The dining room is referred to as 餐厅 (cāntīng) in China. Literally “meal hall”, this word can also mean restaurant in Chinese.

Kitchen in Chinese: 厨房 (chúfáng)

厨房 (chúfáng) is probably everyone’s favorite room of the house. It means kitchen in Chinese.

Quiz: Do you know how to say “chef” in Chinese? Hint: it has something to do with “kitchen”. Check out our list of Mandarin professions to find out.

Bathroom in Chinese: 卫生间 (wèishēngjiān)

卫生间 (wèishēngjiān) is the bathroom in Chinese. This word usually refers to the room where the toilet is. However, if you’re referring to the room with the tub or shower instead, you can say 浴室 (yùshì). More on this in our article on 7 ways to say “bathroom” In Chinese.

Laundry Room in Chinese: 洗衣间 (xǐyījiān)

Laundry room in Chinese is simply “wash clothes room” – 洗衣间 (xǐyījiān). Most Chinese households don’t have a laundry room and the clothes are usually air-dried on the balcony.

Bedroom in Chinese: 卧室 (wòshì)

卧室 (wòshì) literally means “the room to sleep” in Chinese. The master bedroom in a house is called 主卧 (zhǔ wò) while the second and guest bedroom are called 次卧 (cì wò) and 客卧 (kè wò).

Office in Chinese: 办公室 (bàngōngshì)

Remember we all had to turn a part of our house into a home office during the COVID-19 outbreak? Well, the word for office in Chinese is 办公室 (bàngōngshì). And to say “work from home”, you say 在家办公 (zài jiā bàngōng).

Study in Chinese: 书房 (shūfáng)

This is an easy one: 书房 (shūfáng) – literally “book room”. Don’t confuse it with 图书馆 (túshūguǎn) which means library.

Hallway in Chinese: 玄关 (xuánguān)

The entryway area for a house or apartment is called 玄关 (xuánguān) in Chinese.

Attic in Chinese: 阁楼 (gélóu)

阁楼 (gélóu) can mean attic or loft in Chinese.

Here’s an interesting Chinese idiom with the word in it: 空中阁楼 (kōng zhōng gélóu) – “attics in the air”, meaning unrealistic plans or hopes for the future.

Basement in Chinese: 地下室 (dìxiàshì)

The word for basement in Chinese is 地下室 (dìxiàshì). It literally means “underground room”. There’s no clear-cut purpose for a basement. Many families convert it into a home gym – 家庭健身房 (jiātíng jiànshēnfáng), a home theater – 家庭影院 (jiātíng yǐngyuàn) or a “rec room” – 家庭娱乐室 (jiātíng yúlè shì).

Garage in Chinese: 车库 (chēkù)

车库 (chēkù) is what we call a garage in Chinese. It translates to “car storeroom”, literally. If you are talking about a fixed parking space in your apartment complex, then use the word 车位 (chēwèi) instead.

Balcony in Chinese: 阳台 (yángtái)

阳台 (yángtái), literally “sun deck”, is the balcony in Chinese. A terrace is called 露台 (lùtái).

Garden in Chinese: 花园 (huāyuán)

Finally, the garden around a house is called 花园 (huāyuán). Don’t get it mixed up with 公园 (gōng yuán), which is the park for the public.

Further Reading: Gardening Tools in Chinese

House Objects and Furniture in Chinese

Now we’re gonna go around the rooms in the house – the living room, the dining room, the kitchen, the bathroom, and the bedroom, and name the different items that are typically there in Chinese.

Let’s start with the living room.

Living Room Items in Chinese

English	Chinese	Pinyin
air conditioner	空调	kōngtiáo
bookshelf	书架	shūjià
carpet	地毯	dìtǎn
ceiling	天花板	tiānhuābǎn
chandelier	吊灯	diàodēng
coffee table	茶几	chájī
curtains	窗帘	chuānglián
fireplace	壁炉	bìlú
floor	地板	dìbǎn
floor lamp	落地灯	luòdìdēng
sofa	沙发	shāfā
TV	电视机	diànshìjī
TV cabinet	电视柜	diànshìguì
wall	墙	qiáng
window	窗	chuāng

Note that though “coffee table” technically translates to 咖啡桌 (kāfēi zhuō) in Mandarin, Chinese people commonly refer to it as “tea table” – 茶几 (chájī).

Dining Room & Kitchen Items in Chinese

English	Chinese	Pinyin
chair	椅子	yǐzi
dining table	餐桌	cānzhuō
dishwasher	洗碗机	xǐwǎnjī
fridge	冰箱	bīngxiāng
kitchen counter	厨房柜台	chúfáng guìtái
microwave	微波炉	wēibōlú
oven	烤箱	kǎoxiāng
pan	平底锅	píngdǐguō
pot	锅	guō
stove	炉灶	lúzào
range hood	油烟机	yóuyānjī

Further Reading: Kitchen Expressions in Chinese

Bathroom & Laundry Room Items in Chinese

English	Chinese	Pinyin
bathtub	浴缸	yùgāng
bath mat	地垫	dìdiàn
cabinet	柜子	guìzi
faucet	水龙头	shuǐlóngtou
mirror	镜子	jìngzi
shelf	架子	jiàzi
shower	淋浴	línyù
sink	台盆	táipén
tile	瓷砖	cízhuān
toilet	马桶	mǎtǒng
washing machine	洗衣机	xǐyījī

See our full list of Chinese bathroom & toiletries vocabulary.

Bedroom Items in Chinese

English	Chinese	Pinyin Pronunciation
bed	床	chuáng
blanket	毯子	tǎnzi
drawers	抽屉	chōuti
makeup vanity	梳妆台	shūzhuāngtái
mattress	床垫	chuángdiàn
nightstand	床头柜	chuángtóuguì
pillows	枕头	zhěntou
rug	小地毯	xiǎo dìtǎn
table lamp	台灯	táidēng
wardrobe	衣橱	yīchú

Not enough? Read on to learn more Chinese furniture vocabulary and expressions through examples.

Example Sentences with House in Chinese

Now is the time to use the Chinese house vocabulary in context. Practice the following sentences and you’ll develop your knowledge of Chinese grammar and gain confidence in speaking Chinese in simple conversations.

我们下个月要搬到新房子了。
Wǒmen xià gè yuè yào bān dào xīn fángzi le.
We’re moving to a new house next month.

外国人能在中国买房吗？
Wàiguórén néng zài Zhōngguó mǎi fáng ma?
Can foreigners buy a house/apartment in China?

这栋房子是你们买的还是租的？
Zhè dòng fángzi shì nǐmen mǎi de háishì zū de?
Did you buy or rent this house?

上海的房价很高。房租也是。
Shànghǎi de fáng jià hěn gāo. Fáng zū yě shì.
The house price in Shanghai is very high. So is the rent.

这套房子有几个房间？
Zhè tào fángzi yǒu jǐ gè fángjiān?
How many rooms does this apartment have?

我们的房子有四个卧室，三个卫生间。
Wǒmen de fángzi yǒu sì gè wòshì, sān gè wèishēngjiān.
Our house/apartment has four bedrooms and three bathrooms.

这幢房子又大又漂亮，离海滩也很近。
Zhè zhuàng fángzi yòu dà yòu piàoliang, lí hǎitān yě hěn jìn.
This house is big and beautiful. It’s also close to the beach.

FAQs about House in Chinese

How do I say “my house” in Chinese?

“My house” in Chinese is 我的房子 (wǒ de fángzi). Simply add the possessive pronoun 我的 (wǒ de) – meaning “my” to the word 房子 (fángzi). If you are referring to your home, you may also say 我家 (wǒ jiā) – “my home”.

How do I say “coffee house” in Chinese?

To say “coffee house” in Chinese, you can either say 咖啡馆 (kāfēi guǎn) or 咖啡屋 (kāfēi wū). The character 房 (fáng) is not to be used in this word.

How do I say “it’s on the house” in Chinese?

This English expression can’t be translated word for word into Chinese. To say something is free, you say 这是免费的 (zhè shì miǎnfèi de).

How do I say “the White House” in Chinese?

The White House in Chinese is 白宫 (bái gōng), literally “white palace”.

What’s “House of Cards” in Chinese?

House of Cards in Chinese is 纸牌屋 (Zhǐpái Wū). You can watch it with Chinese subtitles here.

Want to Speak Chinese for Real?

There you go! We’ve covered everything you wanted to know about house in Chinese. A great way to remember these vocabulary words is to go around your house and name things in Chinese. You could even write down a label and put it around if your family members don’t mind!

Now, if you’re learning Chinese, you should make the best out of ImproveMandarin.com, one of the world’s largest sites dedicated to Mandarin studies.

Here are some articles to help you get started:

By the way, if you’ve just started out to learn Chinese, we strongly recommend you take a structured Chinese course online. It’s far more effective than reading odd bits and pieces here and there and trying to put them together on your own.

We’ve practically reviewed every Chinese course available on the internet. Some are fantastic while others are a complete waste of time. Here are the best online Chinese courses we found in 2023.