Chinese word

座

Pronunciation

Pinyinzuò

Meaning

  • measure wordclassifier for buildings

Example

校园里有一座图书馆。xiào yuán lǐ yǒu yí zuò tú shū guǎn

There is one library building on campus.

Illustration for 座 (classifier for buildings)

More examples

山上有一座庙。shān shàng yǒu yí zuò miào

There is a temple on the mountain.

Core concept

A defined place that stands on its own, from a sitting place to a complete structure.

Common phrases

  • 一座山yí zuò shān

    a mountain

  • 一座桥yí zuò qiáo

    a bridge

Similar words

个gè: A widely used classifier for counting people or things individually.
所suǒ: A classifier for counting institutions and facilities such as schools, hospitals, and libraries.
间jiān: A classifier for counting separate indoor spaces, including rooms and classrooms.

Definition in Chinese

作量词时用于计数独立且具标志性的实体或建筑，如一座山、一座塔、一座雕像；作为名词，则有时以文言或正式语境指座位、坐处。zuò liàng cí shí yòng yú jì shù dú lì qiě jù biāo zhì xìng de shí tǐ huò jiàn zhù rú yí zuò shān yí zuò tǎ yí zuò diāo xiàng zuò wéi míng cí zé yǒu shí yǐ wén yán huò zhèng shì yǔ jìng zhǐ zuò wèi zuò chù

Word origin

座 (zuò, "seat") combines 广 (guǎng, "shelter"), which points to a built place, with 坐 (zuò, "sit"), whose sound helps form the character and recalls its older seat sense.

Usage tips

  • For children, size and prominence are useful clues: a major library, tower, or statue fits this classifier more naturally than an ordinary small building.

Other meanings

  • seatnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word