Chinese word

宫

Pronunciation

Pinyingōng

Meaning

  • nounpalace

Example

宫里有很多游客。gōng lǐ yǒu hěn duō yóu kè

There are many tourists in the palace.

Illustration for 宫 (palace)

More examples

故宫是北京著名的旅游景点。gù gōng shì běi jīng zhù míng de lǚ yóu jíng diǎn

The Forbidden City is a famous tourist attraction in Beijing.

Core concept

A ruler's residential and administrative center, extending from the royal household to the grand complex itself.

Common phrases

  • 宫殿gōng diàn

    palace

  • 皇宫huáng gōng

    imperial palace

  • 故宫gù gōng

    Forbidden City

Similar words

宫殿gōng diàn: A large building or complex where a monarch lives and conducts official affairs.
皇宫huáng gōng: An imperial palace where an emperor lives and holds state ceremonies or receives visitors.
故宫gù gōng: A preserved historic palace, especially one known as a major cultural or tourist site.

Definition in Chinese

古代帝王居住并处理政务的建筑或机构，也泛指大型宫殿。gǔ dài dì wáng jū zhù bìng chú lǐ zhèng wù de jiàn zhù huò jī gòu yě fàn zhǐ dà xíng gōng diàn

Word origin

宫 (gōng, "palace") originally referred to the ruler's residential and governing complex and later broadened to include large palace buildings more generally.

Usage tips

  • The word is especially useful for recognizing historical place names and official terms, even when it is less common as a lone noun in casual conversation.

Other meanings

  • imperial palacenoun
  • courtnoun

Opposites

  • 民居mín jūcivilian residencenoun
  • 民房mín fángcivilian housingnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word